Crime & Safety

Put Safety First As Kids Head Back To School

Police say children should be alert and aware of their surroundings.

With just three weeks to go before Cranford children head back to school, most families are focused on buying school supplies, clothes and planning for afterschool activities. But there's another important element that should be considered as the first day of class approaches: safety.

Part of this involves planning, while another aspect warns parents and students to stay alert and be cautious.

"The takes the safety of our children and adolescents very seriously, and as the new school year begins, we encourage all residents to remain alert and play an active role in keeping our streets, parks and schools as safe as possible,” said Sgt. gerard Quinn of the Cranford Police Department.

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The American Crime Prevention Institute, an organization that provides training and resources to law enforcement agencies including the Cranford Police Department, have issued a number of tips for parents and students as they head back to school:

  • Make sure children take the safest routes to and from school, stores and friend’s houses.
  • Teach children to walk confidently and to be alert to what’s going on around them.
  • Tell children to avoid strangers who may hang around playgrounds, public restrooms, empty buildings, etc.
  • Teach children to always take the same way home from school.
  • Children should not walk next to curbs.
  • Children should not play alone on playgrounds.
  • Children should not wear expensive jewelry or clothing to school.
  • A child should check in with a parent or trusted neighbor as soon as they arrive home from school; someone should know if they are staying late at school.
  • Parents should take time to listen carefully to children’s fears and feelings about people or places that scare them or make them feel uneasy. Tell them to trust their instincts. Take complaints about bullies seriously.

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