2.6 Million Children ID Kits to be Distributed, FL
2.6 Million ID Kits To Be Distributed POSTED: 5:31 pm EDT September 28, 2006 SARASOTA, Fla. -- School superintendents and sheriffs are distributing 2.6 million kits to gather fingerprints, DNA samples and photos of children in case they go missing. Backers of the program say the kits -- one for each student in Florida -- will allow detectives to save time and can work hand-in-hand with Amber Alerts. "If it's an Amber Alert, we've got everything," Sarasota County Sheriff Bill Balkwill said. "We can send it out nationwide, just like that." Balkwill said a child's fingerprints and DNA can be used for matching evidence and identifying a child. More than 50,000 children in America are abducted by strangers each year, and 300,000 are taken by family members. "You never know when it's going to happen," Balkwill said. This latest effort began after the Florida Sheriff's Association and the Florida Association of School Superintendents teamed up to purchase the kits. A $2.2 million donation from an unidentified Texas corporation means the state will get the kits at a fraction of their normal cost. http://www.local6.com/news/9957584/detail.html