The Importance
of Having a Good Photo of Your Child

One of the most important tools for law enforcement to use in the case
of a missing child is an up-to-date, good-quality photograph. Noted below
are some tips for parents and guardians
regarding such a photograph.
 |
The photograph should be a recent, head-and-shoulders
color photograph of the child in which the face is clearly seen. It
should be of ”school-portrait” quality, and the background
should be plain or solid so it does not distract from the subject.
|
|
|
 |
When possible the photograph should be in a digitized
form, and available on a compact disk (CD), as opposed to just a hard
copy. This minimizes the time necessary to scan, resize, and make
color corrects before disseminating it to law enforcement. |
|
|
 |
The photograph should be an accurate depiction of the
child, not overly posed or “glamorized.” Nor should other
people, animals, or objects be in the photograph. The photograph should
not be taken outside, out of focus, torn, damaged, or very small. |
|
|
 |
The photograph should have space for accurate, narrative
description useful to identify the child such as name, nickname, height,
weight, sex, age, eye color, identifying marks, glasses, and braces. |
|
|
 |
The photograph should be updated at least every six
months for children 6 years of age or younger and then once a year,
or when a child's appearance changes. |
|
|
 |
All copies of child’s photograph and information
should be maintained in an easily accessible, secure space by the
parents or guardian. The photograph and data should not be stored
in a public database. |
|