Safety Message for WISD Parents
In an effort to keep you informed about safety issues in our community, we are providing information about an incident that happened today at one of our campuses.
Late this evening Weatherford ISD was notified that a student at Hall Middle School was approached by man between 4:30-4:45 pm. The student described the man as being black or Hispanic, 30 to 40 years old with a flat top style hair cut, and wearing a black and red striped t-shirt. The student indicated the man was driving a gray, possibly Ford, "heavy duty" truck that had tinted windows and was loud. He said the man drove up to him and asked him his name. The student told the man that was none of his business and began to walk away. The man then reportedly chased him in the truck so he ran to a group of students. At that time the man drove off. The student and his mother were concerned this may have been an attempted abduction and have reported this incident to the Weatherford Police Department.
Weatherford ISD campuses have been notified about this incident and will have additional staff present during tomorrow’s drop off and pick up times. In addition, the Weatherford Police Department will increase patrol units around all schools tomorrow.
We encourage parents to talk with their children about stranger safety and to report any suspicious activity to our campuses and the police department.
The following tips for children and parents are from the National Crime Prevention Council and may be found at http://www.ncpc.org/topics/violent-crime-and-personal-safety/strangers .
Recognizing and Handling Dangerous Situations
Perhaps the most important way parents can protect their children is to teach them to be wary of potentially dangerous situations – this will help them when dealing with strangers as well as with known adults who may not have good intentions. Help children recognize the warning signs of suspicious behavior, such as when an adult asks them to disobey their parents or do something without permission, asks them to keep a secret, asks children for help, or makes them feel uncomfortable in any way. Also tell your children that an adult should never ask a child for help, and if one does ask for their help, teach them to find a trusted adult right away to tell what happened.
You should also talk to your children about how they should handle dangerous situations. One way is to teach them “No, Go, Yell, Tell.” If in a dangerous situation, kids should say no, run away, yell as loud as they can, and tell a trusted adult what happened right away. Make sure that your children know that it is okay to say no to an adult in a dangerous situation and to yell to keep themselves safe, even if they are indoors. It’s good to practice this in different situations so that your children will feel confident in knowing what to do. Here are a few possible scenarios:
• A nice-looking stranger approaches your child in the park and asks for help finding the stranger's lost dog.
• A woman who lives in your neighborhood but that the child has never spoken to invites your child into her house for a snack.
• A stranger asks if your child wants a ride home from school.
• Your child thinks he or she is being followed.
• An adult your child knows says or does something that makes him or her feel bad or uncomfortable.
• While your child is walking home from a friend’s house, a car pulls over and a stranger asks for directions.
What Else Parents Can Do
In addition to teaching children how to recognize and handle dangerous situations and strangers, there are a few more things parents can do to help their children stay safe and avoid dangerous situations.
• Know where your children are at all times. Make it a rule that your children must ask permission or check in with you before going anywhere. Give your children your work and cell phone numbers so they can reach you at all times.
• Point out safe places. Show your children safe places to play, safe roads and paths to take, and safe places to go if there’s trouble.
• Teach children to trust their instincts. Explain that if they ever feel scared or uncomfortable, they should get away as fast as they can and tell an adult. Tell them that sometimes adults they know may make them feel uncomfortable, and they should still get away as fast as possible and tell another adult what happened. Reassure children that you will help them when they need it.
• Teach your children to be assertive. Make sure they know that it’s okay to say no to an adult and to run away from adults in dangerous situations.
• Encourage your children to play/walk home with others. There’s safety in numbers!
