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Remington College’s Criminal Justice Department offers back to school safety tips for kids

As August approaches and everyone heads back to school, remaining vigilant about safety is important. Check out these tips from our criminal justice department to help keep everyone safe this school year!

Here are ten things you can do to support child safety:

1. Teach children to recognize and obey traffic rules, signs, signals and markings. If a child walks to school, adults should also teach them landmarks and safe places to go if they ever need help.
2. Always use designated pedestrian crossing places, and never enter streets from cars, bushes, or other obstacles- these can obstruct a car’s view of you as you cross.
3. Use backpacks with wide straps and padding in the back. Backpacks should not weigh more than 10 – 15% of a child’s weight, or the child is at risk for difficulty balancing and back injuries.
4. Make sure children know not to walk in front of their bus. The first 10 feet in front of a bus is the driver’s blind spot, a dangerous location that should be avoided.
5. Put heavier items into a child’s backpack first. Heavier items should be closer to the child’s back to help limit strain.
6. Teach children not to talk to strangers, and to get distance between themselves and any unfamiliar person who tries to approach them. Even if they do know them, make sure children know not to get into a car with anyone without permission. Have a safe word, or code, for someone other than the parent to use at pick-up. Also, tell your child to text you with a code word if they’re with friends and feel unsafe.
7. If a stranger approaches a child, ensure that the child knows to report the incident to a responsible adult as soon as possible.
8. Use all compartments in a child’s backpack and evenly distribute weight to prevent injury.
9. Advise children about carrying or wearing items that visibly display their name. A personalized backpack might be cute, but it also gives strangers information about a child that they could use to try to sign the child out of school, or convince the child that they know them.
10. Teach children their emergency contact information, meaning their phone number, their address, their parent’s phone numbers and how to dial 911.

Remington College’s Criminal Justice department offers safety tips for adults

Children aren’t the only ones who should do their best to stay safe in the new school year. Read these safety tips for more information on how adults can prevent crime both at Remington College and on-the-go:

1. Be careful about what you post online. In today’s connected world, “checking in” on apps is a regular occurrence. But providing information on your whereabouts that is publicly accessible can put you at risk. If you wouldn’t want a stranger to know about something, think twice about posting it online. Check your location settings on your devices to make sure your location isn’t automatically broadcast as well.
2. Don’t let strangers into a secure or gated area. It may seem rude not to open the door for a stranger trapped outside or walking behind you, but it’s much worse to be the one who let a dangerous individual into your area.
3. Keep emergency contacts in your phone. Enter ICE after the names of people you would like to use as your emergency contacts. Many phones now offer an emergency setting, where you are able to enter relevant medical information and list your emergency contacts so someone can see them even without unlocking your phone.
4. Stay aware of your surroundings. Wearing headphones or looking at your phone constantly while walking puts you at risk for accidents and crime.
5. Carry emergency cash. That way, if your wallet is lost, stolen or left behind, or if there’s an emergency leading to a power outage, you’ll still have money with you.
6. If you have a medical condition, consider wearing a medical alert bracelet so emergency services are aware right away.
7. Always lock up. An unlocked home or car is a tempting target for crime. Even if you’re just planning on leaving for a little while, always make sure to lock up. And if you live on the first floor, make sure your windows are locked as well.
8. Be alert on the road, especially around school zones. Children can be unpredictable, and often don’t recognize the dangers of running out into a road.
9. Remember that if you see something, you should say something! If you suspect criminal activity, or see someone who may be in danger, report it to the authorities. If you’re on campus, you can also always contact campus security. Just by remaining aware, you can prevent crimes from occurring.
10. If you ever feel unsafe or uncomfortable within a situation, trust your gut. It doesn’t matter what others think if you leave an uncomfortable scenario; ensure your own safety before anything else.

Dana Phillips, Remington College Lafayette Campus’ Criminal Justice expert, is here for the community

At Remington College Lafayette Campus, Dana Phillips, a criminal justice instructor, is here to keep the community safe. Read more about Phillips below to learn about her contributions to Remington College and the Lafayette community.

Ms. Dana Phillips, J.D.

Criminal Justice Instructor

Dana Phillips is a Criminal Justice instructor at Remington College’s Lafayette campus.  Dana holds a Juris Doctor from Southern University Law Center and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

As an instructor, Dana strives to make sure the students understand the importance of what is being taught, and how it relates to Criminal Justice. She wants to ensure the students are prepared for the future, by encouraging them to plan ahead. Students also get to hear directly from contacts working in fields related to Criminal Justice, as Dana invites guest speakers on campus to offer their insight and talk about their work experience.

Dana loves her community and wants to make where everyone works, lives, and plays better. She plays an active role in the community by helping with an/or supporting community events, and loves spending time with her family. She is also a board member of 360 Collective, an organization engaged in and formulating strategic ways of working with and in the community to bring about positive change.

Media Contact

Kate Quinones
Wellons Communications
407-339-0879
Kate@wellonscommunications.com