Six new high performance, fuel-efficient Chevrolet Impalas have been pressed into service. These patrol cars are supposed to be 40 percent more fuel efficient than our present fleet of cars. We should have two more of these cars delivered in the near future.
To effectively keep our streets and neighborhoods safe, we must continue to be highly mobile. Our patrol deputies have to cover large areas on any given shift. By using the new fuel-efficient cars, we will be able to cover more miles at a great savings.
It is very important that we deploy our patrol deputies to strategic areas 24/7 so that we can respond in minutes should an emergency occur at your house or place of business.
Doubtless, many crimes have been thwarted simply because the bad guy knew that a deputy could be on the scene before a crime could be committed and escape made.
Also, I want to take this opportunity to remind all area drivers and parents of our schoolchildren to be especially careful around school zones in the coming days as our schools across the region will be back in session.
A number of kids will be entering kindergarten or first grade and everything will be new to them. I have twin granddaughters who will be starting kindergarten, so I have a little apprehension for their well-being and safety as well.
Again, by applying a few basic rules, we can create and maintain a safe environment every school day of the year.
Rule No. 1 is STAY ALERT — beginning as you load your car, then all the way to school. Leave the phone in your pocket. Don’t answer until the kids have been safely delivered. Remember, kids are unpredictable. When driving near where they are walking or playing, always drive at a speed that you can quickly stop should one of them dart toward the roadway.
I would also suggest to some of my friends who have a reputation of being disorganized that they lay out all the socks, shoes, school books, supplies, etc. on the couch or dining room table the night before so that all will be peaceable and calm for your child (and you!) as he/she faces the day.
May I suggest to those who will be taking their children to a new school that they drive the route once or twice with their children a few days before school starts. That way, the new students can acclimate to the new area much more quickly.
I would even suggest that some families run a tabletop exercise of the new routine. This would be a simplified version that some organizations use for an emergency response to a natural or manmade disaster.
It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate, just a crude map of your residence along with some familiar landmarks on the route to the new school. Maybe you can put Grandma’s house or the home of family friends on the map as well.
As you go through this hands-on exercise, you can share information about the school rules and safety rules your child is expected to follow.
You, as a parent or guardian, can be as creative as you want to be. You can calm your child’s fears by telling your child about your first school and all the anxieties that you felt. Let them talk about their fears as well. Try to answer all their questions honestly.
I bet some of our readers didn’t know that their big, mean sheriff has a sensitive side.
Make my day! Be safe!
