Weatherford Police Department Message 9-8-17
For the safety of our students, staff, and community, we are sharing information from the Weatherford Police Department, Texas regarding an incident that occurred late yesterday afternoon.
In addition to teaching children how to recognize and handle dangerous situations and strangers, there are a few more things parents can do to help their children stay safe and avoid dangerous situations.
1. Know where your children are at all times. Make it a rule that your children must ask permission or check in with you before going anywhere. Give your children your work and cell phone numbers so they can reach you at all times.
2. Point out safe places. Show your children safe places to play, safe roads and paths to take, and safe places to go if there’s trouble.
3. Teach children to trust their instincts. Explain that if they ever feel scared or uncomfortable, they should get away as fast as they can and tell an adult. Tell them that sometimes adults they know may make them feel uncomfortable, and they should still get away as fast as possible and tell another adult what happened. Reassure children that you will help them when they need it.
4. Teach your children to be assertive. Make sure they know that it’s okay to say no to an adult and to run away from adults in dangerous situations.
5. Encourage your children to play/walk home with others. There’s safety in numbers!
6. Report strange occurrences to school officials and/or the police immediately.
Weatherford Police Department Message
PUBLIC AWARENESS NOTICE:
On Thursday, 09-07-2017 a teenage minor reported an incident to the Weatherford Police Department which allegedly occurred while walking home in the vicinity of the 1000 block of W. Couts Street and in the area near the National Guard Armory and Hall Middle School. At approximately 4:45 PM, the minor reported a Hispanic male driving a white van stopped, appeared to make an obscene sexual gesture and then drove away. The minor indicated to officers that the male subject did not approach, speak to, get out of the vehicle, or expose himself at the time of the incident. Currently this case is under investigation by the Weatherford Police Department and W.I.S.D. officials have been notified of the incident for awareness purposes.
With this being the second week of the school year there will be an increase in the number of students walking home. We are encouraging all parents to speak to their children about being situationally aware at all times, and the importance of immediately reporting any suspicious activity to the police department or school officials. Below is a link from the National Crime Prevention Council that provides information to children which will help them recognize and handle personal safety situations.
http://www.ncpc.org/topics/violent-crime-and-personal-safety/strangers
