Child identification days are coming back to the city of Martins Ferry. Parents will have the opportunity get their children fingerprinted in case of an emergency. But now, there's no messy ink.

A new fingerprint system will be offered at every school in Martins Ferry, where parents can bring their children in or give permission for kids to put their identification on the record.

"The horrifying experience it was for the officers and the parents with trying to get the ink off the kid’s face and the officer’s face," Martins Ferry Police Chief John McFarland said.

Police are now using a scanner, a laptop and a printer in what McFarland calls a quick and easy method of fingerprinting.

But parents are asked to hang on to the identification cards.

"The information would be provided to a parent or guardian where they would have that on file with themselves. It's nothing that the police department is going to save," McFarland said.

"If a young person ever comes up missing or is kidnapped or anything tragic like that, we have documentation that we can use as proof of the child in future time," Martins Ferry Schools Superintendent Dirk Fitch said.

Fitch said the new technology was made possible through a grant.

"We were able to obtain the system through the grant, and through that we're also getting the benefit of having a part-time resource officer up here at the school, so it's a benefit to everybody," Fitch said.

Any parents in neighboring communities that would like to take advantage of Martins Ferry child identification days are invited to do so. Contact the Martins Ferry Police Department at 740-633-2121.