NY Masonic Safety ID (MSID) Program

The Child ID Program was started in 1991 by volunteers in the Queens District and spread throughout the State. The original program consisted of a brief video interview of the child. It was believed that by showing the child in conversation and capturing the child's gait and mannerisms, law enforcement agencies would have an advantage in locating and identifying a missing child. After consultation with the New York State Department of Criminal Justice System, the program was changed to provide an identification card or DataCard®. This system provided the parent with a plastic card containing information regarding the child, along with a digital photograph and finger prints. Because of the aging population, the program grew to include student and senior identification cards and the program name was changed to the MSID Program. With the advances of technology and the desire to produce a product that would better serve law enforcement agencies in the prompt location of missing children, the program migrated to its current form - the EZ Child ID System. This system provides for a mini CD-ROM, containing digital photographs, a complete set of digital fingerprints, and critical information about the subject in a universal format, while still providing an identification card.