Graphic depicting My Family ID

As a young detective, Charles Still would pour through files on his desk as he handled upwards of 70 open cases of missing children. Now retired from the Tustin, California, Police Department, he’s tapping into technology to try to streamline the process and reunite families faster. His My Family ID app gathers digital fingerprints and a 3D scan of a child (or at-risk adult). This critical information can be stored on a cell phone—without being shared with a third party—and easily sent to authorities if an emergency arises. Still said the app’s game-changer is that it forces the user to take a photo that can be used with artificial intelligence and is formatted for facial recognition. The $4.99 app is available for iPhones and Android phones.

The state of Madhya Pradesh in India is developing an app to disseminate information about crimes, including missing and abducted children. The app is based on the U.S. AMBER Alert program. State Law Minister P.C. Sharma said, “Information about crimes and sketches of accused will reach the common man. It will help to arrest them in lesser time.”

The New York State Missing Persons Clearinghouse has created Find Them, a mobile-friendly application to assist law enforcement officers in missing person cases. The app is designed for investigators and first responders and provides tips based on the conditions and circumstances of each case. The app can be used on any device connected to the internet and can be found at www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/missing/findthem/.

The Netherlands now uses an iPhone app to send AMBER Alerts. More than 1.2 million Dutch citizens already get the alerts automatically by e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, and digital signs throughout the country. The FBI Child ID App, which provides automatic AMBER Alert notifications and allows parents to store pictures and a description of their own children, inspired the new app.