Child Safety Tips: A Guide for Parents

Children should be instructed never to approach a stranger in a car, even if offers are made of money, candy, gifts or a ride. They should be taught not to accompany any adult who invites them for a walk or wants to play with them. They also should be taught adults do not ask kids for help or directions. Children should know that such incidents should be reported to parents, teachers or police officers, and should be encouraged to remember what the adult looked like and what was said. Call the Police Patrol Commander for information on training on resisting the lures of a pedophile and escape techniques.

Hitchhiking is something your child should never do! It is equally as dangerous for boys as it is for girls. Children should be taken to and from a destination by a parent or other responsible adult. Children should walk alone only if they have learned the rules of safe walking, including obeying signs and signals, crossing only at corners, and walking on sidewalks whenever available.

Instruct your children to tell you where they are going, who they are going with, and when they will return. They should know they must inform a parent or guardian of any change in plans.

Lock doors and windows in your home and never indicate to an adult when a child may be home alone. Children should never open a door to a stranger. When alone, children should tell telephone callers that a parent can not come to the phone at that time, but that a message can be left and will be relayed.

Discuss with your child what indecent exposure is and what to do should anyone commit it in their presence. It should be emphasized to children that only doctors, nurses or a parent or guardian are permitted to touch them in a personal manner. Should anyone else try to touch them in such a way they should get away as fast as possible. They should be encouraged to tell you what happened.

Always take time to listen to your child. In most sexual assault or abuse cases, the offender is known to the child or the child's family. Do not dismiss what your child tells you as an exaggeration or as the product of an active imagination. Children don't lie about these matters. Check out all information, and take action when necessary!

Shortcuts through deserted or secluded areas can be dangerous to your child and should be avoided. Children should stay in a group and play in open areas where parents or other responsible adults can observe them easily.

Always discuss with your children any incident which disturbs or confuses them. Encourage them to confide in you, and never make them feel embarrassed or ashamed when they do so.

Familiarize yourself and your children with your neighborhood. Show them places where they can go if they need immediate help, such as a neighbor's home, a friend's house, or a Block Mother's residence.

Exercise care in selecting a reliable babysitter. Inform the sitter how you can be reached in case of an emergency. Be concerned about the safety of teenage babysitters and ensure they have adequate transportation, especially late at night.

Teach each child his or her full name, address and telephone number. Instruct the youngster in the proper use of the telephone and how to call 911 in any emergency situation. A child also should know the name, address and telephone number of a family friend or relative who can be contacted in the event of an emergency, or at least be able to show a police officer, medic or fireman where such information can be found.

Young children should be accompanied into public restrooms. They should not be permitted to loiter near restroom areas nor speak to people they do not know.

Timely reporting of missing or runaway children is extremely important. Friendswood has no required waiting period before a missing child report can be accepted by the Police Department. If your child is missing, try to remain as calm as possible, and help police officers by suggesting friends' homes, play areas or other locations where your child might be. Let the officers carefully search your home for the child.

Items of clothing should not be monogrammed with a child's name. This could encourage undesirable familiarity by a stranger.

Photographs, dental records and fingerprints are valuable identification aids. Be prepared to make these items readily available to a police investigator, should your child be missing or run away.

Safety tips like these can be used to increase your child's awareness. Involve yourself, maintain open lines of communication, and be sure your child understands what to do to help ensure his or her own safety. Establish for yourself with school officials what kind of procedures and training is provided to ensure child safety.

Voluntary Fingerprinting Program For Child Identification

In response to citizen concerns and request from parents, the  Kirby Police Department conducts a voluntary fingerprinting program for children on a periodic basis. Dates, times and locations are publicized through the news media. Any child less than 17 years of age who resides in Kirby may be fingerprinted, but the child must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

The purpose of this fingerprinting program is to provide a means of identifying missing children from Kirby. The fingerprints will not be used for criminal identification purposes. Immediately after a child is fingerprinted, the competed fingerprint card is returned to the parent or guardian for safekeeping. It should be kept with a current photograph of the child and the child's dental records in a safe place with other valuable documents.

If the child is missing or runs away, the Kirby Police Department should be notified by calling (210)661-8515. The responding police officer should be provided with a recent photograph of the child and any additional information requested. The fingerprint card should be kept readily available for use by police investigators.