Honoring Superintendent Mary C. Gormley for Advocacy of Child Identification Program (CHIP)

Leaders in the Milton community were guests at Rotary’s November 13 meeting to honor Superintendent Mary C. Gormley for her service to the community in promoting the Child Identification Program (CHIP) program.

At the meeting was a short presentation by Dr. David Harte, a local forensic dentist.  Dr Harte started CHIP in Milton in 1998, and under his leadership it has since spread throughout North America.  CHIP consists of fingerprints, a physical description, a video, a dental imprint, and a DNA sample of a child.  All the identifying materials are given to the child's family.  Children are interviewed and given training by law enforcement, safety, and dental professionals.

Senator Walter Timilty presented a further citation from the Massachusetts Senate recognizing her work as well.

Milton Rotary President Michael Maholchic then presented Superintendent Gormley with the club’s first “Citation for Meritorious Service” in recognition of her service, and honored her in poetry -- “for when the public schools are so well run/the public must say ‘thank you’ and ‘well done’! 

In the USA and Canada last year 660,000 children have been reported missing.  One elementary school aged young girl, who had been trained in the CHIP program, was abducted by a sexual predator on her way home from school.  When the predator had her in his car and was driving away, she began licking her hands and rubbing them on the car’s upholstery and windows leaving her salivary DNA, scent, and fingerprints.  “What are you doing?” she was asked.  “I’m proving that I was in your car,” she replied.  The predator stopped the car and kicked her out.  The girl then snapped a photo of his license plate with her smartphone, and he was apprehended within minutes.