Children urged to be safety conscious these holidays
ALEXANDRA - Alexandra Police and the Victim Support Unit, an NPO conducted a road show for children and parents to sensitise them on children’s safety during the school holidays.
Alexandra police and the Victim Support Unit, a non-profit organisation, conducted a roadshow for children and parents to sensitise them to children’s safety during the school holidays.
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Manare Ramotshela said the event helps to highlight security concerns and will be conducted again when schools reopen. This he said in reference to cases of child abuse, rape, child trafficking, domestic abuse and other crimes that were reported to the police on a daily basis.
Ramotshela said during the holidays, children tend to relax their security when playing around their homes and at parks without parental supervision. “They tend to relax security in the home resulting in housebreakings and thefts through unlocked doors and houses unattended when they play outside and parents are away at work.”
Ramotshela stated that the roadshow included a visit to Pholosho Primary School on the last day of the second school term where police’s social crime members addressed children on the importance of alertness when alone at home and on security measures to take when approached by suspicious-looking persons wanting to engage with them.
“We want the children to enjoy the break in a relaxed, but security-conscious manner as we want them back at school for the coming term in good condition.” He added that the security awareness exercises would continue when schools reopen and will include the occasional unannounced searches to rid schools of dangerous weapons.
Elizabeth Mokoena, manager of the Victim Support Unit, said the roadshow also sensitised mothers and grandparents on children’s safety as they spent most of their time with them. “It’s important to remind them to be consistently vigilant of their homes and children’s security especially when they play in parks, on the roads, alleys and when they are sent to the shops. Their sensitivity to security tends to lapse over time creating opportunities for perverts lurking around to pounce on children. By heightening security consciousness, the parents will also help reduce the workload for the police.”
Details: Alexandra Police Station 011 321 7600.
