Airport Kiosk Aids Search for Children

A computerized kiosk that flashes pictures of missing children and provides safety tips for kids and parents was unveiled Thursday at John Wayne Airport, the first site in California to receive one.

Local child welfare officials hope the kiosk, located in the baggage claims area of Terminal A, will help find missing children, because about 8 million people visit the airport each year.

The computers allows users to gain information about missing children simply by touching a “user-friendly” screen, which flashes color mug shots and biographical information. In some cases, pictures of suspected abductors also are shown.

“This is state-of-the art, multimedia, interactive” technology, said Supervisor William G. Steiner, who sits on the board of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which developed the kiosk.

“The missing children’s movement has come a long way since the days when reports were entered by hand . . . on 3-by-5 cards,” Steiner said. The computer, he said, also can “age” the photos of children who have been missing for several years.

Pizza Hut Inc. donated $8 million to buy more than 200 kiosks, which will be distributed across the country. John Wayne Airport eventually will have a second one.

The kiosk will store pictures from around the country, but Steiner said information about new local abductions will be placed in the system immediately.

“We are waiting for our first recovery from this airport,” he said.