Police and Department of Community Safety visit school to empower learners living with disabilities
“It is important to talk to the children in our community and empower them to be able to take proper decisions when facing incidents of crime and bullying.”
“Some children cannot differentiate between what is wrong and right, which makes them vulnerable.”
This was according to Wonderboompoort police head of social crime prevention Warrant-Officer Malose Chipana.
Chipana made the comments during a visit to empower learners living with disabilities at the Alma Special School in Eloffsdal, Pretoria Moot, last week.
It was part of a campaign by the Gauteng Department of Community Safety together with the Wonderboompoort police.
“The ultimate aim of the campaign is to make learners aware of crimes that might take place both inside and outside their school, refrain from bullying and teach them road safety guidelines,” Chipana told Rekord.
“It is, therefore, important to talk to the children in our community and empower them to be able to take proper decisions when facing crime and bullying.”
Chipana explained to the learners the meaning of the word drugs and different types of drugs such as cocaine, heroin and crystal meth to make learners gain a better understanding of the substances and their dangers.
“Drugs are serious substances that can harm you when using them,” he said, stressing that they are not safe and can kill the user.
He then explained the modus operandi used by the drug dealers to create their market within the school.
“A drug dealer may first make friends with one of the immature learners,” he said.
“The dealer may influence the learner to take drugs to school and offer them to fellow learners for free for the learners to start taking them and become addicted.”
He said once the learners are addicted to drugs, the dealer starts selling them through the learner working as the middleman.
“When finding out that someone at the school is selling drugs, please report the matter to the teachers so they can report it to the police.
“The manufacturers of drugs are now wiser as they are no longer packaging them in a traditional way, but they sometimes put them inside sweets and cupcakes.”
He urged children not to accept food from strangers.
Gauteng community safety department spokesperson Vile Mahlakwane taught the children about road safety, bullying and sexual offences.
“Look to the right, to the left and your right again before crossing the road, when it is safe,” Mahlakwane said.
He added that when children find it difficult to cross the road, they should ask a police officer to help them when possible.
Speaking about bullying, he urged them to report it to the teachers.
“Bullying is not allowed.”
Mahlakwane told the learners to refuse to be touched inappropriately by adults, sometimes in exchange for money.
He said child-related cases may be reported to the police at 08600 10 111 or the Child helpline at 0800 55 555.
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