Make sure your child knows:
- Their full name, age, address, area code, home phone number and parents’ work/cellphone number.
- How to use a pay phone to make both local and long distance phone calls.
- How to contact police, fire and EMS in an emergency (9-1-1) and in a non-emergency (403-266-1234).
- To use the same route to and from school.
- Where the safe places are to play (front and backyards, playgrounds).
- What places to avoid (vacant lots, dark, wooded, bushy areas).
If your child is being followed by a person or car, make sure they know to do the following:
- turn and run in the opposite direction;
- get a description and licence number of the stranger’s vehicle if possible;
- run to the closest safe place; and,
- stay in open areas that are visible.
- Remember to tell them that uniformed police officers are friends who can be trusted.
The stranger rules
Familiarize your child with “the stranger rules” – these rules will help keep them safe.
- Never talk to strangers.
- Never take anything from strangers.
- Never go anywhere with a stranger.
- Do not be fooled by tricks or phoney conversation.
- If a stranger tries to grab you, yell, scream and kick.
- Never tell a stranger you are by yourself or that your parents or guardian are not home.
