By Samantha Sinclair
Staff Writer
LAVONIA — Parents can expect their Lavonia Elementary students to bring home an important tool on April 11.
That day, Lavonia police officers will visit the school to hand out fingerprint identification kits and give students junior officer badges.
Officers will also show students an instructional video about the kits, which will be posted on the department’s Facebook page for parents to view.
Police Chief Bruce Carlisle said the initial minutes a child is missing are crucial, and the kits will help law enforcement have needed information while providing some relief for parents.
The kits not only give parents the ability to take their child’s fingerprints, but also has a way to get a DNA sample and gather other pieces of information.
Everything the kit helps parents gather will make it easier to share information with law enforcement if something were to happen to their child.
“This kit is just so comprehensive,” Carlisle said.
Parents hold on to the completed kit until an emergency requires it, and can be used by any law enforcement agency.
This is the first time the department has distributed fingerprinting kits in recent years.
Officers did do something similar long ago, but not as detailed, Carlisle said.
The kits cost about $1,000 total, with funds for the purchase coming from the department’s operating budget.
Carlisle invited anyone who had questions about the kit to contact the police department at 706-356-4848 or stop by the office.