Police share school holiday safety tips with the community

With school holidays in full swing and learners enjoying a break from class, parents are encouraged to remain extra vigilant.

In a recent statement, the South African Police Service shared the following safety tips:

• Parents need to know where their children are at all times.
• Do not leave children unattended. Always make sure when they are at the malls or shopping centres that they have proper adult supervision.
• Remember that if a child goes missing, there is no waiting period to report it. Time is of the essence, so alert the authorities immediately.
• Always have a recent photo of your close family members.
• Parents must never let their children swim in a pool, dam or river alone or unsupervised.
• Children who cannot swim should never be allowed in the water. An appeal is made to adults not to enter the water while under the influence of alcohol – practise water safety at all times.

ALSO READ: Sandton Police Station adds safety with their school visits in the National Child Protection Week

• Save important emergency contact numbers on your children’s cellphones. Also, keep a printed list of these contact numbers close by such as on your fridge or next to the landline including those of your local police station and your neighbours.
• Holidays are a great time for some fun excursions or trips to the beach, but should your child get lost they need to be able to provide someone with enough information to locate you. Help them to memorise their name and surname, home address and contact details for either parent. For toddlers who are too young to remember your contact details, use a permanent marker to write your name and phone number on their arms in case your child gets lost.

ALSO READ: Fun ideas for school holidays