To: Serve - Protect - UPHOLD - dEFEND
To: Serve - Protect - UPHOLD - dEFEND
If you ever get pulled over and you're not sure it's a real police officer, here are some tips to stay safe. 1. call 911 so they can verify it's a real traffic stop. 2. put your turn signal on to show you are willing to stop. 3. look for markings on the car that real police would have. 4. look for a well-lit area (public if possible) and safe place to pull over and stop once you know it's a real officer.
If someone wants you to open the door and say they are police, here are some tips to stay safe and make sure they are really police. 1. look for a real marked police car outside. 2. Look for a uniform with department patches, badge, and other equipment police would have. 3. call 911 so they can verify that a police officer is really at your door before opening it if you are not sure they are really a police officer.
You can Text 911 almost anywhere now if you need to be discreet. They may ask you if you can call in because it is faster and easier to get the information they need, but you can say no and still text them for help if you need. Voice contact is better, but you can text 911 if you need to be discreet in seeking help.
Please reach us at constablezarnick@pastatelaw.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
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Teach your kids to be aware of strangers and if grabbed, approached, etc. to yell really loud "FIRE! HELP! STRANGER DANGER!" over and over again. Teach them to run from strangers and if necessary, fight to stay safe. Also make sure they know not to go with anyone and that you would never send anyone else to come get them even if the stranger lies and says you did. Teach them to never trust a stranger and that bad people lie and will try to trick them. When in doubt, run and shout!
Teach children to be aware of those asking them to keep a secret for any reason. Not all secrets are good, and they should always tell you when someone asks them to keep a secret, especially if it does not seem right. Always ask and always tell! Most secrets are not safe. Children should be aware of anyone asking them to keep a secret, especially if they are asked to never tell. It usually is to hide something that is wrong. Also, let them know that they can never be at fault for someone else's wrong.
Teach your children to be aware of inappropriate touching and that they always have the right to feel safe and comfortable. If they are not comfortable with the way someone touches them, teach them to tell that person to please stop that makes me uncomfortable. A good person would not do this to them and would never try to convince them its ok. It's always ok to say please stop! Also make sure they know to always tell others when this happens and that it's not ok to keep this a secret no matter what the person says or threatens. It's always ok to tell.
If something seems wrong, it probably is. Teach your children that its ok to Always Ask and Always Tell! Don't stop, Ask and Tell everyone until someone listens.
Look for changes in your child's behavior. This could be a sign of bullying, abuse, or other issues affecting them. Don't be afraid to ask them what is going on and to investigate to see what may be affecting them. Let them know it's ok to talk about it. Changes in behavior could be acting distant or quiet, seeming extra tired, uneasy around people or certain places, loss of appetite, loss of interest in things, anxious behavior, acting out and behavior problems, excessive emotion, lack of emotion, or just acting out of character etc. If you think there is a concern, there probably is. There is no invasion of privacy when it comes to children's safety. Be present, be aware, be the one to care.
A lot of cell phone games as well as video game systems have online options to play with others and often chat with the others. Be careful who your children are talking to on there. Fake profiles are more common than most people think. Child luring and bating is increasing rapidly. Facebook, messaging apps, and other social sites are tools that are often used to exploit and harm our children. Teach your children to never give out their location or personal information. This includes talking about places they like to visit or are going to visit, and posting pictures of places that can be used to identify what area they live in and the places they visit. They should be made aware of the dangers and encouraged to tell you immediately if something is suspicious or someone is asking things of them that don't sound right. Let them know they will not be in trouble for telling you this and that its the right thing to do. Visit the parent/guardian resources page to see more about what you can do to protect your child and links to resources to help you along the way.
https://sewickleytownshipconstable.com/parent%2Fguardian-resources-1
Megan's Law requires known sex offenders to register. Even though some may fail to do so, most offenders will show up on the list. below is the link to the PA list of sex offenders on the State Police Website.
Megan's Law exists solely for the purpose of providing a means of protecting the public, especially our children, from victimization by sexual offenders. This is accomplished by tracking the whereabouts of convicted sexual offenders and providing notification to the public of the presence of a sexual offender in their community. Utilizing the combination of tracking and notification, law enforcement and private citizens are able to develop constructive plans, safety programs, and victimization prevention strategies to prepare for the presence of sexual offenders in their neighborhoods. Sign up to receive notifications for our neighborhood.
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To Serve and Protect - The People’s Officer