Keeping Guelph Safe ... Together.

"Play Safe"

ALWAYS TEACH YOUR CHILDREN:

• To know their full name, age, telephone number, area code, city and province
• How to contact you, another close relative, or police, fire and ambulance services in an emergency
• When children are home alone, they should tell phone callers that you are there, but you are busy and cannot come to the phone. The phoning party can call back later.

• When children are home alone, find out the identity of the person who comes to the door, without opening the door. If a stranger is at the door, teach your children to tell the stranger that you are busy, and he/she should go away and come back later. Teach your child not to engage in conversation with the visitor. If the child feels threatened, teach him to phone an emergency number.
• Adults, especially strangers, rarely ask children for help in finding things, or for directions. Explain to your child that both men and women are strangers.
• If your child becomes separated from you in a store or shopping mall, to go directly to a store employee or cashier for help.

• That police officers who wear uniforms are their friends and that they can be trusted if your child is in trouble. It is for this reason that you should never use the police as a threat to your child. This will confuse their image of the police.

PLAY SAFE

• Where possible, your children should play and walk with other children.
• Avoid situations where strangers may approach your child alone, such as an unsupervised play area, empty lots, abandoned buildings, bushy area of parks, creeks and riverbeds.
• If someone is following or frightening your child, they should turn around and get away. Run home or to a Block Parent home or the nearest public place such as a school, store, or office. Your child should also try to remember what the driver and car looked like or its license number.