Police prepare children and parents for holiday season
KwaThema - The local police wish all learners good luck as they sit to write their final exams.
They have however, also shared that it is during this time and school holidays that children become exposed to danger.
“As the police, we are committed to preventing, managing and responding to incidents of crime and violence in and out of schools.
“However, to ensure safety of children we require the support of parents and the children themselves, hence we urge young people to be vigilant at all times,” says police spokesman Capt Thabo Sibuyi.
He says what they have noticed over the years as local police, is that at this time of the year most children are unsupervised and exposed to various dangers.
Read: Community educated on drug and substance abuse
These include gangsterism, drug and alcohol abuse, kidnapping, assault, murder, rape, drowning, accidents, pornography and suicide.
It is for this reason that they, as the KwaThema police urge parents to constantly talk with their children and to make them aware of these possible dangers.
The police also urge parents to closely monitor their children’s internet access and cellphones and to educate them on sites to avoid and dangers of speaking to strangers.
Read: Addressing issue of substance abuse in the community
Some of the tips police have shared to assist so children don’t fall victim to crime includes:
• Mapping out with your children a safe way for them to get to and from school.
• Advise them to avoid bushes, construction, empty areas, passages and parks where there aren’t a lot of people or adequate lighting.
• Teach children to follow traffic signals and rules when walking.
• Stress the importance of them crossing the street at places where there are scholar patrols, robots or stop signs.
• Encourage children to walk and play with siblings and friends.
• Avoid talking on their cellphones while walking on the streets or when in public areas.
• Teach them not to talk to strangers.
• Teach them about danger signs and what they should do when they feel they are in trouble.
• Ensure that your children are always under adult supervision.
• Help the children to memorise their names, parents names and their home addresses.
Sibuyi says it is important for parents to write down other important details such as their work and cellphone numbers on a card for the child to carry with them.
