MAYWOOD/BELL : Thousands of Pupils to Be Fingerprinted

Under Operation Kid Print, children in Bell and Maywood will be safer and more savvy, organizers said.

Operation Kid Print, a free program sponsored by Assemblywoman Martha M. Escutia (D-Huntington Park) in cooperation with the Maywood and Bell city councils and police departments, will fingerprint up to 20,000 elementary school children in the Southeast area, a Maywood Police Department spokesman said.

During presentations at local schools next month, police will talk to children about safety, avoiding strangers and how to get help. Police also will record the physical description, medical information and fingerprints of each child to be used in case of disappearance or kidnaping.