Child Safety
Each year thousands of children are reported missing. The men and women of the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office want you to know what you can do to help prevent your child from becoming a statistic.
Teach your child to:
- Never leave home without your permission.
- Your children should play only in areas away from the street, such as a backyard, or in a play area supervised by a responsible adult.
- Never wander off, avoid lonely places and avoid shortcuts through alleys or deserted areas. Children are safer walking or playing with friends.
- Come straight home after school unless you have made other arrangements.
- Never enter anyone’s home without your approval.
- Scream, run away and tell a parent or a trusted adult if anyone attempts to touch or grab them, or if a stranger offers them a ride.
- Never give any information over the telephone including name or address, or tell anyone you’re alone.
- Keep doors locked and only allow people you know into the home.
You should:
- Know your child’s whereabouts at all times.
- Teach your child at an early age their name, address and telephone number and your first and last name.
- Teach them how to call 9-1-1 for help. Have him or her use the phone to practice dialing 9-1-1 but be sure to unplug the phone to avoid dialing.
- Teach your child how to make local and long distance phone calls.
- Never leave your child alone in a car; even for a few seconds.
- Establish strict procedures for picking up your child at school, from the movies, at a friend’s house, etc.
- Remind your child to never accept a ride from anyone you don’t know, even if the child knows the person.
- Talk to your child about child abduction in a simple, non-threatening way.
- Listen to your child when he or she discusses anyone they may have met or spoken with when you weren’t around.
- Take photographs of your child at least four times a year (especially for preschoolers). Make notes of birthmarks or other distinguishing features and have them documented and stored in a safe area that is quickly accessible.
- Fingerprint your child and store the prints in a safe, easily accessible place in your home.
Rules for baby-sitters:
- Leave emergency contact numbers as well as mobile numbers.
- Never allow the sitter to admit strangers into your home. The best rule is no company allowed.
- Instruct the sitter that phone use is for emergencies only, not for chatting with friends.
- Leave the number for your local law enforcement agency and tell the sitter to call immediately if there are any signs of suspicious activity or unusual noises.