Child Abduction Protection
Child Abduction Protection
Sheriff Fontoura Urges Parents and Guardians to Reduce the Danger of Child Abduction
More than 350,000 children are abducted in America each year. Most of these children are taken by relatives. Random abductions by strangers are rare but terrifying. To reduce the danger of child abduction, parents and guardians should:- Teach your children in whose car they may ride. Children should be cautioned never to approach any vehicle, occupied or not, unless accompanied by a parent, guardian or trusted adult. If a stranger asks for directions or assistance, the child should tell him or her to ask an adult.
- Create an atmosphere in your own home where children feel safe. Instill a sense of confidence in your children so they know that you will believe them and be responsive to them if they need your help.
- Tell your children not to go out alone. Always take a friend, sister or brother. Teach them always to tell an adult where they are going, when they will return home, and never to take a ride from someone they don’t know.
- Discuss with your children whose homes in the neighborhood they can visit. Explain to them the boundaries of where they can and can’t go in the neighborhood.
- Make sure your children know their addresses and telephone numbers and how to use the telephone. Be sure they know what to do in an emergency and, if appropriate, how to reach you by using cell phones and pagers. Make certain they do not tell anyone who calls your residence that they are home alone.
- Never drop children off alone at malls, movies, video arcades or parks.