JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers KIDPRINT MASTERS-Camarillo Citizen Patrol advisor Senior Dep. Bob Maclean, right, and Citizen Patrol member Dave Crouse, discuss the KidPrint program scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Camarillo Boys & Girls Club, 1500 Temple Ave., Camarillo. Digital fingerprinting for children might sound like something out of the television show "CSI," but it's real technology, and it's being offered free right here in Camarillo.

The Camarillo Citizen Patrol and the police department are sponsoring a KidPrint event tomorrow.

The program provides parents with an identification card the size of a credit card. The child's photo, along with their right thumbprint and vital information such as height, weight and eye color is digitally printed on a vinyl card that easily fits in a wallet.

"We enjoy doing it," Dave Crouse, a citizen patrol member, said. "I particularly love kids."

KidPrint is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Sat., May 14 at the Boys & Girls Club, 1500 Temple Ave.

Crouse said if a child is reported missing, no matter where they were last seen, the digital photo and thumbprint can be emailed by the police department anywhere in the world.

"It's neat and it's a little more comforting to know that can be done," he said.

The city and police department have sponsored the event since 2000. Also included in the KidPrint kit parents receive is information on where to get free DNA sampling and how to store it.

"Most parents are very grateful for the service," Crouse said.

Bob Maclean, a senior deputy with the Camarillo police, also is the citizen patrol's current advisor. Time is the crucial element when a child is missing, he said. Parents are understandably distressed and emotional, and the availability of a KidPrint card spares them from searching for a recent photo of their child.

"The sooner we get information, the sooner we can get out there and search for the child," Maclean said.

The patrol tries to hold a KidPrint event each month. Crouse estimates more than 1,000 cards are given out each year. The service is provided as a courtesy for Camarillo residents, but visitors from all over the world have also used the service, he said.

"It's very handy for parents, no matter where they are," Crouse said.

He recommends young children have an annual KidPrint done since their appearance can change dramatically from year to year. For older children, it's best to get a new KidPrint when there has been some significant change since the last one was taken.

The patrol has had infants as young as 5 days old get a KidPrint card, although it's difficult to get a print of such a tiny thumb, Crouse said.

The patrol recommends mentally challenged adults use the service as well.

Plans for the KidPrint program may include partnering with a local service group to provide a location device that would be worn like a watch by Alzheimer's patients. The device could be activated to help searchers pinpoint their location if they become lost.