Child ID Day on Sunday

Held in conjunction with the Missing Children's Network and McDonald's, the annual event provides parents with safety tips and free child identification booklets designed to help police, should the child go missing.

Const. Adelbert Pimentel of Station 12 encourages parents to bring their children to the McDonald's restaurant at 5011 Sherbrooke St., where police cadets will be giving out booklets and taking identification information on each child.

He hopes the turnout will equal last year's success. "Last year, Station 12 officers gave out 192 booklets," he said. "We had a great turnout."

In cases where a child has gone missing, Pimentel said the first hour is crucial — and the ID booklet eliminates what would otherwise be an hour spent gathering information. This way, he said, the information can be put out on the street immediately.

"Sometimes it's hard for a parent to give a description of their child, especially when under stress," Pimentel said. "This really eliminates a long hurdle in the police investigation; it really helps the officers a lot."

And, of the event itself, Pimentel said, "the kids love it."