The S.M.A.R.T. Program was developed as a tool for educators to teach young people abduction awareness & resistance tactics, as well as to provide quality identification data for families to use in the event of an emergency. Since the debut of the program in May, 2000, we have trained in excess of 170,000 children across every county in New York State.(SMART Program PSA)

Our program's effectiveness is built on the retention of the knowledge provided by the officers, thru educational tools designed to provide an open dialogue between parents and children. The consistent reinforcement of the message by the officers, teachers and parents, provides validation of the message and the lesson plan is ingrained into the child's memory.

Our program utilizes music, lecture, as well as situational training to provide young people with the knowledge to make wise, safe decisions regarding their personal safety.

It is no longer safe for us as parents and educators to teach children "stranger danger" because as our statistics dictate, eighty percent of abducted children are taken by people who are known to them and trusted by them.

The S.M.A.R.T. Identification system utilizes the latest technology to process a child "passport" which is given to the parents for safekeeping. This document, when completed, is a comprehensive identification packet, complete with digital image of the child, fingerprint and DNA sample. There is no retention of records maintained through this system, which was designed to insure that the anonymity of the child and the family is protected. (more here)

Time is of the essence when dealing with a missing child, with the first 12 hours being critical to the recovery of the child. Our document is configured to facilitate the speedy transmission of information between Law Enforcement Agencies and media sources.

In closing, The S.M.A.R.T. Program has been recognized by the United States Congress, the New York State Legislature (click here), as well as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as "the best system available for delivery of abduction awareness education, and mass child identification available today". It is our goal to provide this very important program to every child and every school in New York State.