Safe Communities Day is coming up in Canada next week, but community safety is something we should always have top of mind, especially for parents. A little due diligence will keep your kids and your entire community a little safer, here’s some tips to do so:
- Where are your kids? You should always know where your children are, so have exact locations and check-in times planned out before they leave the house. If possible, have them leave a contact number for where they will be at.
- What are important numbers? Your children should be aware of important phone numbers they may need in the event of an emergency. These would include: 9-1-1, your home number, your cell phone number, etc.
- Who are they with? Before your kids leave your home, understand who they will be with. You should always have a good measure of who the people are with your child before you let them go off alone with them. This goes for both your children’s friends and any adults that will be present. Another great idea would be to choose a “safe house” which would be someone in the neighbourhood that you know and trust enough to let your kids play there.
- What are the boundaries? Have you outlined specific boundaries for your children in the neighbourhood, including any “off-limit” areas?
- Who is on the lookout? Working together with your neighbours is probably the biggest key to community safety. Many communities have things like the Block Parent Program, or Neighbourhood Watch.
Interested in seeing how safe your community already is? The Calgary Police has a crime mapping application right on their website. On October 5, stay tuned online for more community safety tips as National Safe Communities Day hits.
