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Weekly Crime Tip From the Desk of Wayne Ivey

By  //  March 25, 2014

spring break SAFETY

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA — With Spring Break once again upon us, I want to take a moment to remind all parents and guardians to speak with their children about home safety and unfortunately, many parents have to work during Spring Break.

Smartphones have become the centerpiece for many of our lives and are utilized for practically every form of communication in today’s society. Voicemail, calendar, email, texting, internet access, social media and even all of our stored data can be stolen or lost. Even if we misplace our Smartphone and someone finds it, all of our data is available for theft and abuse.
With Spring Break once again upon us, I want to take a moment to remind all parents and guardians to speak with their children about home safety and unfortunately, many parents have to work during Spring Break.

Our older children are often left at home alone to enjoy their time away from school or left to keep watch over their younger brother and sisters.

While the below post was originally posted last year, it is always a good idea to revisit the following safety measures with your children, regardless of their age, so they can have a fun and safe Spring Break:

PLEASE REMIND YOUR CHILDREN TO

• Keep all doors locked at all times.
• Never open the door for a stranger. If a stranger knocks on the door, please make sure your children are instructed not to open the door and have them immediately tell the stranger to leave and also to yell that 911 has already been called. Historically, children were taught not to acknowledge anyone being home, but unfortunately, today’s criminals will break into the house thinking it is unoccupied.

Never open the door for a stranger. If a stranger knocks on the door, please make sure your children are instructed not to open the door and have them immediately tell the stranger to leave and also to yell that 911 has already been called. Historically, children were taught not to acknowledge anyone being home, but unfortunately, today’s criminals will break into the house thinking it is unoccupied.

• Do not leave the garage door open and unattended.
• Make sure emergency telephone numbers are readily available and your children know where to find them.
• Discuss swimming pool safety (especially for older children that are tasked with keeping a watchful eye on their younger brothers and sisters.)
• Don’t answer the telephone unless they are certain of who is calling. If they happen to answer, make sure your children know to say “that my parents are busy and can’t come to the phone.” Rather than “my parents aren’t home.”
• Always make sure appliances are turned off when not in use. 8) Refrain from discussing on Facebook and other forms of social media that they are home alone.

FOR THE PARENTS, PLEASE REMEMBER

• Closely monitor your child’s computer usage and permissions.

Please enjoy a safe and happy Spring Break and thank you for taking the time to review this information and also for sharing these preventive measures with your Facebook friends. While these are only a few of the precautions we should discuss with our children, it is a great place to start in an effort to keep your family safe while enjoying Spring Break.

• Always secure any weapons that are in the home.
• Make sure all prescription drugs are secured and out of reach.
• If you are traveling during Spring Break, please refrain from posting on Facebook that you are traveling and leaving your home unattended.
• If traveling to the beach, please be mindful of the ocean rip currents and other conditions that can make your trip unsafe.
• Please make sure that your children know how to quickly and properly call 911 and that they understand the importance of acting quickly to any potential problem.
• Do everything you can to be accessible during this time of the year while at work. If your children need to contact you it is important that they can reach you and not your voicemail so that they can share with you any potential problems.

bcso-star-180Please enjoy a safe and happy Spring Break and thank you for taking the time to review this information and also for sharing these preventive measures with your Facebook friends. While these are only a few of the precautions we should discuss with our children, it is a great place to start in an effort to keep your family safe while enjoying Spring Break.

If you have any questions regarding crime prevention or wish to schedule a crime prevention presentation for your families, friends and neighbors, please contact Lindsey Deaton in our Crime Prevention Unit at 321-505-8752.