It’s August and that means children are headed back to class.
The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office said in a post on Facebook they’d like to make sure that return is as safe as possible.
The sheriff’s office focused this week’s crime tip on walking to and from school.
- Walk the school route along with your children before the first day of school to make sure it is safe and your child knows the route.
- When you can’t walk with your children, encourage them to walk with a friend.
- Encourage your kids to avoid short cuts unless they have been pre-approved.
- Tell your children to stay observant and aware of their surroundings as they walk. If they think they are being followed, they should immediately go to a trusted adult and tell them.
- Make sure your child knows what to do if they think they are in danger – they should yell “help” or “you are not my mom/dad” and run to the nearest business or back to school.
- Tell your child, if a stranger asks them questions, they should not get close to the car. Make sure they know to never get in a car with a stranger – anyone the kids and parents don’t know or know very well.
- Establish a code word with your child to identify a person as a trusted adult.
- Make sure your child knows they should never go near any adult they don’t personally know who asks for assistance. Some “bad” adults might ask for help or even claim they are looking for a lost puppy.
- Make sure your children know who is a trusted adult: law enforcement, store owners, or a teacher, to name a few.
- Tell your child that if they are ever in a situation that makes them uncomfortable, they have the right to say no, loud and clear.