Grant will provide safety measures in Lyon County

Police in Lyon County are using a federal grant to improve safety for children and people in need of assistance.

A block grant given to the Lyon County Sheriff's Office earlier this year was allocated to the "Child Find" and "Are You OK?" programs, said Sheriff Sid Smith. The combined funding totaled approximately $18,000.

Six-thousand dollars of that money is being used to create a better way to locate missing children.

The sheriff's department will be recruiting families to several locations to record children's fingerprints, photographs, dental history, scars and other personal information. Once compiled, the parents can hold onto the book in case the child is reported missing.

"Basically the biggest problem when a child comes up missing is getting information from distraught parents," Smith said. "Getting everything from one place will make it a lot easier."

This is nothing new to the office, Smith said. To a limited extent, it has done tracking through fingerprinting, but nothing that provides as much information as the method being implemented this month.

The free service will be offered from noon to 4 p.m. at the following locations:

- Saturday, Nov. 5 at Scolari's Market in Fernley.

- Sunday, Nov. 5 at Silver Saver in Silver Springs.

- Saturday, Nov. 18 at Scolari's Market in Yerington.

- Sunday, Nov. 19 at Smith Valley High School.

- Saturday, Dec. 9 at Smith's grocery store in Dayton.

Parents may also pick up a child registry handbook by calling the sheriff's department at 463-6600 or 577-5021.

Elderly residents with health problems and victim's of crime also have a new, high-tech resource at their disposal.

The "Are You OK?" computer automatically calls home phones to check on residents' welfare. If the computer does not get an answer, deputies will alert neighbors to check on the resident. If there is still concern, deputies will check on the resident by sending a patrol unit.

Smith said he does not anticipate too many extra calls for the department. "It's all computerized, so there isn't the extra manpower involved."

The system cost approximately $12,000 and was implemented last week. So far, 10 people have signed up for the service. Smith said he sees the service as especially helpful for people who are under the protection of a stalking order. Court officials will give out information about the service to victim's of crime.