KENT COUNTY, MI -- Authorities in West Michigan are proposing that family members of individuals with special healthcare needs consider enrolling in a voluntary identification program to assist in the case of a missing persons incident.
The program, offered to Kent County residents, allows residents to provide a person’s fingerprints and photograph for inclusion in a state of Michigan database. Also included would be the person’s demographic information, home address, and contact information for the person legally responsible for them..
In the case of an individual being reported missing, local police would have access to this information to assist in locating them.
“This fingerprinting program gives us an unprecedented advantage to help individuals who are considered vulnerable or impaired get to a familiar and safe environment in a timely manner, while maintaining their dignity,” said Kentwood Police Chief Thomas Hillen, in a prepared statement.
“Not only will we have access to crucial identifying information, but it also provides families some peace of mind. Once enrolled in the program, should anything happen to their loved one, local law enforcement is already one step closer to finding that individual.”
The program is intended to help individuals whose normal capacity for education and self-support may be reduced due to a disease or medical condition, according to police.
Submitting the necessary information comes with a $30 state processing fee -- though participating agencies will waive the processing fee through November 2019.
Participating agencies include the Kent County Sheriff’s Office, Grand Rapids Police, Wyoming Police, Kentwood Police, Walker Police, Grandville Police, Rockford Police, Lowell Police and the Michigan State Police Rockford Post.
Interested parties would need to get fingerprinted in their jurisdiction of residence. For more information about enrollment, contact your local law enforcement agency.
Once enrolled, a parent or guardian can make a written request to the department to have the fingerprints and photograph of an individual with special heath care needs removed from the automated fingerprint identification system database and the statewide network of agency photos.
The program comes as a result of the partnership between Michigan State Police and The Kent County Chiefs of Police.