NORWAY – The Norway Police Department will sponsor a Child Identification Program from noon to 3 p.m. Monday, June 27, at Guy E. Rowe School.

The program will be held along with sign-ups for the Norway/Paris Swim Program and the Norway Library Summer Program. This year’s theme for the Norway Library’s Reading and Activity Program is “Dragons, Dreams and Daring Deeds.” There will be a magician on hand to kick off the summer programs.

Six years ago the Child Identification Program was developed by the Masons in Maine. The Masons are prepared to work with police officers in the community to facilitate the program by video taping, fingerprinting and collecting a DNA sample from each participant.

The Masons have provided the service free to more than 15,000 Maine children. The service is endorsed by the Maine Chiefs of Police Association, and the Center of Missing and Exploited Children recognizes the Masonic CHIP as one of the most comprehensive child identification programs in the nation.

Each year, more than 100,000 children are reported missing in the United States. Every 40 seconds a child is abducted or reported missing.

The ID program is designed to combat child abduction and assist in finding a lost child. It provides law enforcement with three key tools for identifying a child in case of abduction or any other emergency.

Members of the Norway Police Department and PACE Ambulance will be on hand to help the Masons.

Copy the Story Link