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Canfield elementary students get ID kits thanks to the police department
Canfield Cops provide ID kits for kids
CANFIELD
A collaboration among parents, schools and the police department will give Canfield parents an extra way to protect their kids from harm.
Parents of students at Hilltop and C.H. Campbell elementary schools had the option to get their kids fingerprinted for ID kits that the police department provided to all 900-plus elementary students in the district.
Police say the kits — which include fingerprints, and space for dental records, physical descriptions and personal information — are good for parents to have on hand just in case they ever need that type of information.
“It’s a preventive step, God forbid [parents] ever need these type of records,” said Scott Weimer, assistant police chief. “It’s something as a parent you hope you never have to use. ... But it’s just a good thing to have. I’m a parent, too, and it’s something you don’t want to think about, but if your child does go missing, you want to be able to provide law
enforcement with as much information as you can.”
The idea for the kits arose after a member of the Hilltop Parent-Teacher Organization suggested it to police, Weimer said.
The police department ran with the idea and is providing the kits at no cost to the schools. The police department spent a little less than $1,000 on the kits.
“We took that from our operating budget — we just found money that wasn’t being used elsewhere and felt that it was very worthwhile, and that it was something we wanted to provide to the community, especially the elementary-age kids and their families,” Weimer said.
School resource officer Steve Garstka completed fingerprinting at Hilltop this week and will go to C.H. Campbell next week. After the kids get fingerprinted, the kits are sent home with the students for parents to store in a safe place.
“We’re not collecting them for our purposes. It’s for the parents,” Garstka said.
Hilltop Principal Joe Maroni said that parents have been receptive to the idea, and most students returned permission slips to get fingerprinted.
“We’ve had a lot of people take us up on this,” Maroni said. “We’re happy to offer the service to our parents.”
Both school officials and police emphasized the collaborative nature of the initiative, which they say they will continue by preparing kits for all incoming kindergarten students.
“We’re thankful that Canfield police and Canfield schools have such a positive relationship,” Maroni said.
“We’re always looking for ways that we can be involved in the community. We’re very committed to that,” Weimer said. “The safety of our kids, there’s nothing we consider more important than that. ... And this couldn’t happen without the support of the school.”