The event, at 1 Stew Leonard Drive, is for parents interested in participating in the Yonkers Missing Child DNA Program.
The program, which was announced yesterday, will offer parents free child safety DNA identification kits to assist police in the case of a missing child.
The program comes on the heels of two autistic teens that went missing recently, one in Queens and the other in Yonkers. The Yonkers teen, Robert Richard, has since been found.
Spano also called for a state-wide DNA databank for missing persons to better assist police in finding those reported missing.
“More than 21,600 children were reported missing statewide last year; 2,359 were from Westchester County – the highest volume in the State outside New York City,” Spano said in a statement. “This new program is about preparedness and protection while preserving privacy. It proactively utilizes DNA identification capabilities to safely obtain information that can be critical in solving a missing child case.”
Under the new Yonkers program, parents receiving DNA Identification Kits will store their child’s DNA samples at home and only provide the information to police to assist with search efforts in the unforeseen case their child is ever missing. The kit includes space for the child's photo, fingerprints, hair sample, dental records, and two swabs to preserve the child's DNA.
For more of Spano's thoughts on the program, check this story.
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