A new scheme to reunite lost children with their parents has been launched in Dublin city centre.
The Safe & Found initiative combines an existing network of around 400 security radios which are used by staff in the city centre area with a sticker which is to be prominently displayed in shop windows.
Parents who lose their children can contact people in participating retail outlets where a security guard can provide the central radio unit with a description of the child which will then be passed onto all the security guards on the network.
The initiative, coordinated by Dublin Crimewatch and supported by the Dublin City Business Association, will include an education program run through Dublin City Council to raise children’s awareness of the initiative in schools so children will identify places which display the sticker as somewhere they can go for help if they are lost.
Melissa Murrayhill, of the Dublin Crimewatch retail radio system and the brainchild of the initiative said children go missing in the city centre every day and that the system would be of benefit, especially in the run up to the busy Christmas season.
“Separation can often be a traumatic experience for both parents and children and this system will provide an added sense of security when coming to town. As well as reuniting separated children with their parents the system can be used to locate people who may not be able to care for themselves such as people with dementia.”
Meanwhile Tom Coffey, chief executive of the Dublin City Business Association said the initiative used existing assets to provide an additional facility for customers who make approximately 360 million visits to the city centre each year.
“We are proud that Dublin City is the first capital in the world to operate such a system as Safe & Found. We have over 4000 shops and ten department stores and shopping centres in the city centre and an unrivalled range of sights and activities for families so it is wonderful to be able to offer families an added sense of security to make their visit even more enjoyable,” he said.