The Brockville Police are proud to support the Masonic Chip (Child Identification) Program. Masons across Ontario support the program and staff it with volunteers.
The program captures your child’s physical description, voice pattern, DNA, dental impressions and favourite places they like to hide. All of this data is collected at Masonic CHIP events and is turned over to you before you leave. At no time is any of the personal information stored by the Police or the Mason’s. Events take place in our area as required or as set by our local Masonic Organizations.
If you would like more information please visit the Masonic Chip.
Some safety tips for parents to help protect your child’s well-being in public:
- It may seem harmless, but a t-shirt or sweatshirt with your child’s name on it, could be a lure to an abuser or abductor. A child is more likely to trust someone who knows his/her name and might not know the abductor has learned it from reading their t-shirt. It’s a simple thing to avoid and it puts distance between a child and an abductor.
- Never leave a child alone in a public place, nor in a stroller or car. Not even for a minute. A lot can happen in a minute!
- Accompany your small children to the bathroom and teach them not to play in and around the area. If you are a female with a little boy who is too old for the Ladies washroom, or vice versa, wait directly outside the door. If the child is in the bathroom for longer than you expect, ask a male/female to go in, look for the child and report back to you.
- Keep and up-to-date photo of your child. A school or other professional picture is good. If you’d rather take the picture yourself, keep it full-face, simple and clear. Take a new one each year. Record changes in height, weight, and hair colouring each time you take your child in for a yearly physical as these are things that constantly change as a child grows.
- Know your children’s friends and their addresses, where they play, even where they hide. These are things that don’t take much time, but each one contributes to your child’s safety, as well as your peace of mind.