FBI Joins the American Football Coaches Association in the Distribution of the National Child Identification Program

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has joined the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) in the distribution of the National Child Identification Program (NCIP). The NCIP allows for children, beginning at age four to be fingerprinted with the identification information being maintained by parents. The announcement came during the AFCA’s annual convention in San Antonio, Texas.

The FBI, through its Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division, located in Clarksburg, West Virginia, was represented by Supervisory Special Agent John S. Hooks, Jr., and William P. Holley, Program Manager of the CJIS Division’s Community Outreach Program. The AFCA was represented by its Executive Director, Grant Teaff, and Kenny Hansmire, Director of the AFCA’s National Child Identification Program. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed formalizing the partnership.

Both the FBI and the AFCA have existing Community Outreach Programs that encourage parents and guardians to maintain fingerprints of their children in the event they are involved in a disaster or foul play. The AFCA has sponsored the National Child Identification Program (NCIP) for several years, distributing inkless fingerprint kits to enable parents and guardians to fingerprint their children for identification purposes. To date, 9,300,000 kits have been distributed in the United States, mostly at college football games. The largest distribution occurred in Texas when then Governor George W. Bush joined the association in soliciting the assistance of Texas school districts for statewide fingerprint kit distribution.

The FBI and other law enforcement agencies have operated similar programs for many years with standard fingerprint cards and ink. To heighten their efforts, the partnership will promote the distribution of the NCIP kits through state and local law enforcement agencies. Many of the FBI’s 56 Field Offices located throughout the United States will partner with college football coaches in their territories to facilitate the distribution of the inkless NCIP kits.

According to AFCA Executive Director Grant Teaff, “The AFCA Board of Trustees and its members are very excited about working with the FBI and are deeply grateful to have an opportunity for doing something for the youth of this country that has never been done before.”

“FBI Community Outreach Programs provide crime, drug, gang, violence prevention, and educational programs that meet the growing needs of our communities. The AFCA is a respected organization with a track record of community programs and leadership. The FBI is proud to partner with the AFCA in the distribution of the NCIP kits which will be an unprecedented addition to our current programs and a wonderful benefit to all communities throughout the nation,” said Supervisory Special Agent Hooks.