Back To School Safety Tips for Students from Denver Police Department District 2

Hello friends and neighbors,

I hope all of you had a great summer and accomplished all of the fun things that summer offers. As summer nears an end and we quickly approach autumn, children are returning to school for the 2009/2010 year we would like to remind you of a few safety tips to share with your student;

Plan a walking route to school or the bus stop. Choose the most direct way with the fewest street crossings and, if possible, with intersections that have crossing guards. Walk the route with your child beforehand. Tell him or her to stay away from parks, empty lots, fields and other places where there aren't many people around. Teach your child never to talk to strangers or accept rides or gifts from strangers. Remember, a stranger is anyone you or your children don't know well or don't trust. Be sure your child walks to and from school with a sibling, friend, or neighbor. Teach your kids - whether walking, biking, or riding the bus to school - to obey all traffic signals, signs and traffic officers. Remind them to be extra careful in bad weather. When driving kids, deliver and pick them up as close to the school as possible. Don't leave until they are in the playground or building. If your child bikes to school make sure he wears a helmet that meets safety standard. If your child rides a scooter to school, make sure she wears sturdy shoes, a helmet, kneepads and elbow pads. Teach children to arrive at the bus stop early, stay out of the street, wait for the bus to come to a complete stop before approaching the street, watch for cars and avoid the driver's blind spot. Remind your children to stay seated at all times and keep their heads and arms inside the bus while riding. When exiting the bus, children should wait until the bus comes to a complete stop, exit from the front using the handrail to avoid falls and to not walk in front of the bus as the driver may not see him. Be sure that your child knows his or her home phone number and address, your work number, the number of another trusted adult and how to call 911 for emergencies.


On the PlaygroundCheck the playground equipment at your child's school. Look for hazards such as rusted or broken equipment and dangerous surfaces. The surface around the equipment should be covered with wood chips, mulch, sand, pea gravel, or mats made of safety-tested rubber to prevent head injury when a child falls. Report any hazards to the school. Avoid any drawstrings on the hood or around the neck of jackets and sweatshirts. Drawstrings at the waist or bottom of jackets should extend no more than three inches long to prevent catching in car and school bus doors or getting caught on playground equipment. Make sure that the school's sports head or a custodian anchors soccer goals into the ground so they won't tip over and crush a child. Teach children proper playground behavior: no pushing, shoving, or crowding. Give your child some strategies for coping with bullies. He should not give in to a bully's demands, but should simply walk away or tell the bully to stop. If the bullying continues, talk to the teacher.

We share this information with the help of readers digest along with various other agencies from across the United States

Sincerely,

Technician Reyes Trujillo
Denver Police Department
District Two
Community Resource Officer