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End of Summer Changes
Crime Patterns
Within a couple of weeks, summer
vacation will end and elementary, middle and high school students
will head back to school.
“Individual and neighborhood patterns change completely once summer
ends,” says Mick McCune, chief executive officer. That means safety
matters plus home and neighborhood security, from the time you leave
home until the moment you return, come with the excitement of a new
school year.
Here are some suggestions to make
2009-10 a safe, secure school
year, courtesy of the Shelby County
Sheriff, American Academy
of Pediatrics and
Classbrain.com.
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Bus riders
should always board and exit the bus at locations that
provide safe access to the bus or to the school building.
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If your
child’s school bus has lap/shoulder seat belts, make sure
your child uses one at all times.
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Wait for
the bus to stop before approaching it from the curb. Make
sure the driver can see the child at all times.
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In a car,
children should wear a seat belt or be in size-or
age-appropriate car seat. If less than 13 years old, they
should be in the back seats.
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If a
teenager is driving to school, parents should limit the
number of passengers, not allow eating, drinking, cell phone
conversations or texting and limit driving in bad weather.
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Children
riding bicycles to school should wear a bicycle helmet, ride
on the right, in the same direction as auto traffic,
use appropriate hand signals and obey traffic lights and
stop signs.
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If your
child walks to school, he or she should walk with a group,
if possible.
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Make sure
children are on a safe route with well-trained adult
crossing guards at every intersection. Because small
children are impulsive and less cautious around traffic,
consider whether your child is ready to walk to school
without adult supervision.
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If your
child is young or is walking to new school, walk with them
the first week to make sure they know the route and can do
it safely.
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Bright
colored clothing (over school uniforms) will make your child
more visible to drivers.
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In
neighborhoods with high levels of traffic, consider
starting a “walking school bus,” in which an adult
accompanies a group of neighborhood children.
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Avoid
drawstrings on the hood or around the neck of jackets and
sweatshirts. Drawstrings at the bottom of jackets should
extend no more than 3 inches to prevent catching in car and
school bus doors or getting caught on playground equipment.
After School
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Children
approaching adolescence (11- and 12-year-olds) should not
come home to an empty house in the afternoon.
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During
middle childhood, youngsters need supervision. A responsible
adult should be available to get them ready and off to
school in the morning and watch over them after school until
you return home from work.
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If
alternate adult supervision is not available, parents should
make special efforts to supervise their children from a
distance. Children should have a set time when they are
expected to arrive at home and should check in with a
neighbor or with a parent by telephone.
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If you
choose a commercial after-school program, inquire about the
training of the staff. There should be a high staff-to-child
ratio, and the rooms and the playground should be safe.
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Children who are home without adults should keep the doors
locked, and should never tell someone on the phone that there
are no adults at home. Instead they should say a parent can’t
come to the phone right now.
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Post a list of emergency phone numbers near the phone.
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Have children call you at work or on your cell phone as soon as
they get home.
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Set up rules on what kind of food they can fix. Younger children
should never use the stove without adult supervision.
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Set guidelines on who they can have over (if anyone) and what
they are allowed to do.
Other tips:
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Make cards with emergency and parent numbers on them and have
the cards laminated. If children are old enough to carry a
wallet, the card can go in it. If they are younger, you can
punch a hole in the card and lace it into their school backpack.
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Pick out a family meeting spot that can be used in case of an
emergency.
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Teach your children not to talk to strangers. They should not
accept presents or rides from them.
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Pick a family password. This word will be used if someone other
than the usual people are picking them up from school, sports,
or other locations. It should be a weird word, like spaghetti -
one that someone would not be able to guess. If too many people
have heard your word, change it.
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