Staying Home Alone

By McGruff and Scruff
May 24,, 2009

 

In 1974, a neighborhood crime watch group was organized in South Dade County. Citizens met with their local law enforcement departments to ask what they could do to help the police apprehend a rapist terrorizing their community. From this first informal meeting, communities and law enforcement began to work together to keep neighborhoods safe and free from crime. An organization was formed, and Citizens’ Crime Watch of Miami-Dade County, Inc. (CCW) was registered as a 501(c) (3) non profit organization. Today, over 1,600 neighborhoods participate in the crime watch concept. In 1979, the crime watch concept was introduced into the public school system at one school. Because it succeeded in curbing school crime, the Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) requested we, CCW, expand its student crime watch program from one school to include all public schools in the county. Since that time, Youth Crime Watch of Miami-Dade (YCW) has functioned as an allied program of the public schools.

Methodology The public school system contracts with YCW to educate and train students in violence and crime prevention strategies. Children also learn that good citizenship and personal responsibility include watching out for family, friends, schools and community. YCW maintains a presence in all M-DCPS.

The foundation of the YCW program is built upon a “school safety survey” which is administered at the school during the first few months of the school year. It asks respondents to rank their particular safety concerns – those issues which they believe have the potential to cause harm to themselves or their schoolmates. YCW students, student advisors, and our staff are then enlisted in the effort to resolve those issues impeding the safety, health, and education of young people. The results of the survey are prioritized and comprise the core content of the YCW program.

The YCW program is structured to teach leadership skills to students who volunteer to learn about school safety. While they learn how to keep themselves safe, they also learn public speaking, critical thinking, leadership, and other skills that will serve them into their adult lives. This, in turn, reinforces their self-esteem and promotes positive involvement, again curbing misbehavior, crime and violence in the school.

I’m McGruff the Crime Dog – world famous for my advice on how to stop crime before it happens, and for my great sense of humor. But seriously, my job is to help people, especially kids, learn how to be safe and make their neighborhood safer. Something else you should know about me is that I go all over the country to talk to people about how they can take a bite out of crime. So if you see me in your town, come on up and say hi. You can recognize me by my tan trench coat – I never go anywhere without it.

This here is my nephew Scruff. He helps me show kids how they can stay safe. Scruff’s a good pup but sometimes gets himself into a bit of trouble. Lucky for him he’s got a good memory – eventually he remembers the right thing to do to get out of trouble. Want to know more about me and Scruff?

You can read more about yours truly in the story How McGruff Became the Crime Dog, and you can read some of Scruff’s adventures in these comic books.

Staying Home Alone

A lot of kids stay home alone while their parents are at work or running errands. Sometimes this can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some things you can do to stay safe when home alone.

• Don’t let anyone know you’re home alone. If a stranger knocks at your door, don’t answer it. If someone calls and asks for your mom, say “She can’t come to the phone right now” and ask to take a message. Remember not to brag about staying home alone – you don’t want other kids to try to take advantage of your empty house.
• Lock it up. Learn how to lock and unlock all doors and windows. That way no one can get in, but you can get out if you need to.
• Know your numbers. Learn your phone number (and your area code), address (even your zip code), your mom or dad’s work and cell phone numbers, and the phone number of an adult who lives nearby and can help you quickly in an emergency.
• Check in with your parents. Ask your parents for permission before you go anywhere, and call to tell them when you get home. If your parents know where you are all the time, they’ll know where to look for you if they need to.
• Practice what to do in emergencies. Practice deciding whether to call 911 or “0,” a neighbor, or your parents.
• Choose a safe house. With your parents, ask a neighbor if you can go to his or her house if you need help fast.
• Be alert. If something doesn’t look right when you arrive home, like a broken window or open door, don’t go inside your house. Go to your safe house and ask for help.

Source: Mcgruff