Unfortunately no neighborhood is completely immune to crime. However, there are steps you can take to help keep your family and your neighborhood safe.
* Know where your children are. Have your children tell you or ask permission before leaving the house and give them a time to check in or be home. When possible, have them leave a phone number of where they will be.
* Help children learn important phone numbers. Practice reciting their home phone number and address, and your work and cell phone numbers.
* Set limits on where your children can go in your neighborhood. Do you want them crossing busy roads? Playing in alleys or abandoned buildings? Are there certain homes in your neighborhood that you don’t want your children to go to?
* Get to know your children’s friends. Meet their parents before letting your children go to their home and keep a list of their phone numbers. If you can’t meet their parents, call and talk to them. Ask what your children might do at their house and if they will be supervised.
* Choose a safe house in your neighborhood. Pick a neighbor’s house where your children can go if they need help.
* Work together with your neighbors. Watch out for suspicious and unusual behavior in your neighborhood. Get to know your neighbors and their children so you can look out for one another.
I’ve lived in my neighborhood for 14 years. I love it here. I know most of my neighbors, we have good schools and feel quite safe. My friend gave me a website to go to – she said that it would help me be aware of the crimes in my area. To be honest, I was quite shocked to find out what was really going on in my neighborhood. Here’s the website link so that you can check out what’s happening around you: http://www.criminalcheck.com/
This website is quite cool. All you have to do is type in your zip code and then you can view a map or list of the criminals in your area. I think that it’s a great help to families and will help us be safer. It definitely provides a way that we can start a dialog with our children about being aware and not too trusting of people – even if they are our next door neighbors. One other program that I’ve been involved in for several years is McGruff. Talk to you school and see what you need to do to become a McGruff house. Awareness and education are the best safety tools!
-Jenny