Cross Match Technologies, a provider of finger and palm print biometric identification solutions and ITOCHU Management Consulting are jointly donating electronic fingerprint child ID systems to the Office of the Minister of Social Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia. The systems will be used to collect biometric and biographic information, as well as digital photographs of the children in the disaster relief centers and schools located in Aceh and Sumatra, the areas hardest hit by the tsunami.
The donation is an effort to protect the most vulnerable tsunami victims — the children. Given the situation with thousands of orphans and the potential for increased kidnapping and other abuse, the Indonesian government is implementing an electronic fingerprint identification system to augment the data collection initiatives that are already in place.
When a child is missing, it is critical to have vital statistics and a current photograph on hand to use to dispatch to government officials and for comparison purposes. Fingerprints are ideal to have available as they can provide a positive ID under virtually any circumstances. Oftentimes a child’s appearance is altered in a kidnapping situation making photographs alone difficult to use for identification. In addition, if a child is found years after they are kidnapped, a fingerprint can still provide a positive ID regardless of the child’s appearance or age. The child ID systems are expected to be operational in schools and disaster centers in Aceh and Sumatra by the end of July.
