BACK TO SCHOOL SAFETY,
NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AGAINST CRIME

 






NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AGAINST CRIME

 


 

On August 3, I joined other law enforcement officials including Mayor Bloomberg, Police Commissioner Kelly and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, and members of the community to celebrate the 27th annual National Night Out Against Crime at Shore Road Park in Bay Ridge.  The event is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support for local anti-crime programs, and strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships.  Representatives from my office were present at each precinct providing information on our programs and services to help you and to continue to make Brooklyn a safer place to live. 

 

BACK TO SCHOOL SAFETY

 

It has been a fun, eventful summer for many of us, but now it is almost over.  Students will soon return to school.  Getting a good education should be their main concern when they return.  There are many distractions, some dangerous, that students and parents need to be aware of for their own protection.  Schools can sometimes be a haven for predators looking to take advantage of young children.  Some of the biggest problems that we’ve found in schools are bullying, Internet predators, sex trafficking, gang recruiting and truancy. 

 

In our continuing effort to make schools, and our community at large, safe from predators, my Crime Prevention Division has this year, set up an Educational Hotline… (718) 250-3395… so that people in the community can request a counselor or prosecutor to come to their classroom, hospital or community group, to discuss and implement some of our crime prevention programs.  They cover the dangers of gangs, Internet Predators, bullying, sex crimes, and a variety of other topics. 

 

Bullying occurs on a daily basis in schools and schoolyards throughout the borough.  Children who are bullied experience real suffering that can interfere with their social and emotional development as well as their school performance.  Severe bullying can even lead to suicide.

 

The Internet and new technology has changed our society in many ways.  For instance, through the Internet and many social networking websites like Myspace or Facebook, rumors spread much quicker.  And some cell phones have the ability to take pictures and videos of people in embarrassing situations and send them to a large group of people or post it on sites like YouTube. So, kids are not only being bullied in school, but they are being bullied online too.  We have seen cases of kids getting depressed and not wanting to return to school.  In some severe cases, kids have become suicidal.  One way to curb this situation is for parents to limit their children’s cell phone use at night and monitor their Internet use.  Parents should try to become friends with their kids on these Internet sites and talk to their kids about any problems they might be having.

 

Here are some warning signs that your child is being bullied: 

 

  • Appears sad, moody or depressed when he or she comes home.
  • Has lost interest in school work or suddenly begins to do poorly in school.
  • Seems afraid of going to school, walking to and from school, riding the school bus, or taking part in organized activities with peers (such as clubs).
  • Has few, if any friends, with whom he or she spends time.
  • Comes home with torn, damaged, or missing pieces of clothing, books, or other belongings.
  • Has unexplained cuts, bruises, and scratches.

 

How you can help if your child is being bullied:

  • Take it seriously -- don't minimize the experience.
  • Contact your child's school to report what is going on.
  • Bolster your child's self-esteem in other areas. Help them find an activity where they fit in.
  • Don't assume the bullying has stopped if your child stops talking about it.
  • Give consistent advice.
  • Encourage your child to seek help and report all bullying incidents.

The Internet can be a dangerous place, especially for children. Millions of children have gone online and have had unsolicited inappropriate encounters with strangers.  Some of these “meetings” have led to abusive or even deadly encounters.  There are pedophiles online as well as many scammers who may try to get your personal information.   It is important to know what dangers are lurking on the Internet.  And it is important for parents to know what sites their children are going on and who they are speaking to.

 

In 2005, I created a Cyber Crimes Unit to combat these kinds of problems.  The Unit goes into the community, giving presentations, and educating children and parents about predators on the Internet, discussing topics such as cyber-bullying, how children are victimized, the dangers of file sharing, social networking sites, software filtering and monitoring programs, the various resources that are available, and tips on what to do if “something bad happens.”  Over the last three years, we have spoken to over 40,000 kids about Internet Safety.

 

Other tips that are given for children include:

 

  • Don’t give out personal information such as your name, address, age, telephone number or a sibling’s personal information. 
  • Don’t post your pictures on the Internet.
  • Don’t download anything from unknown sources.
  • Don’t arrange to meet someone in person that you first met on the Internet.
  • Don’t share your password with anyone.
  • Do not create or respond to mean, offensive, threatening, or unwanted E-mail or Instant Messages
  • Remember that people online may or may not be who they say they are.

 

In addition, parents should learn:

 

  • How to use child protection safeguards that your Internet service provider offers.
  • How to put child protection software on your computer.
  • How to check the history of sites that your child visits.

 

Sex trafficking is another growing problem in our county, and many offenders recruit their victims from local schools and force them into the sex trade.  This heinous crime is despicable and deserves to be combated with the toughest sanctions available under the law.  Just a few months ago, my office indicted eight defendants with sex trafficking. My Sex Trafficking Unit conducts meetings at schools and community centers, to raise awareness of sex trafficking and its potential signs; provide comprehensive services to victims, through the District Attorney’s Counseling Services Unit; and monitor a 24-hour hotline, which victims and people with knowledge of sex trafficking can call. That number is (718) 250-2770. 

 

It is important to get the community involved and contact law enforcement if you detect signs of any crimes.  Here are some potential signs that someone may be a victim of sex trafficking:

 

  • New friendships and dating relationship.
  • Sharp increase in calls, emails and texts.
  • Signs of physical injury.
  • Change in physical appearance, personal style, and grooming habits.
  • Change in social and academic behavior, including substance abuse.
  • Unexplained income and gifts.
  • Anxiety, depression, increase in aggressiveness.
  • Fearfulness around the dating partner or when his or her name is mentioned.
  • Unexplained disappearances.
  • New tattoos, particularly referencing dating partner, “daddy” or money.

 

Truancy is another issue that we have to deal with in our office.  Young people limit their opportunities because of mistakes in judgment or because of a lack of education.  Some become parents at an early age, while others fall into a life involving crime.  If a child is out of school for eight days or more, it will affect their ability to be successful in school.  A truancy program teaming parents, students, schools, police, prosecutors and community services can make a difference.  Our TRACK (Truancy Reduction Alliance to Contact Kids) program combats the problem of truancy. 

 

If a child is not in school between the hours of 9 AM and 12 PM, a Police Officer may stop the student and ask about his/her destination.  If an Officer determines that the child is truant, the Officer must escort the student to the nearest TRACK Center. 

 

Upon arrival at a TRACK Center, the students’ parents are notified.  Students and parents have the opportunity to speak with a Truancy Counselor - a trained social worker employed by my Office -  to address any problems or issues which may be causing the student to be absent from school. The Truancy Counselor then makes an assessment and if needed, refers the family for appropriate services. These services can include after-school programs and youth development/mentoring programs, as well as substance abuse and mental health services. The hope is that by intervening in this way, we can prevent the student from developing a pattern of truancy, which has been demonstrated to lead to more serious problems in the future, often including criminal behaviors.  Through this program, we have located many missing children and runaways, uncovered teen prostitution rings, disrupted gang activity and helped thousands of children return to school. 

 

Gang recruiting is yet another issue that we often encounter in schools.  Most gang members wind up in one of two places – dead or jail.  Just like with sex trafficking, many gang members are recruited in schools. 

 

First and foremost, parents should talk to their kids about the gangs that are in their children’s respective schools.


Gangs are extremely versatile in showing their gang affiliation, by wearing colors, beads, bandanas and other non-descript items that are not easily identifiable by school officials.  In order to detect whether your child is in a gang, here are some things you can do:

 

  • Check your kids’ school books for any gang related doodles or gang insignias. Pay particular attention if your child wears one color consistently, or more important refuses to wear a particular color for no apparent reason;

 

  • Parents should take note of any new groups of friends their child may have, especially if those friends are wearing certain colors or NOT wearing certain colors;

 

  • If your child shows up with unexplained injuries this could be a sign of a gang initiation;

 

  • Similarly, if your child shows up with unexplained monies or property ask the questions like “where did you get this from?”, etc. This may be a sign of gang involvement.

 

  • Where possible, have your child engaged in some after school activity, especially if parent(s) work and there is no adult to great them or monitor them after school. Check your area for after school community programs;

 

  • Monitor the electronic items your children take to school with them. IPODS, expensive phones, and other hi-tech items may make your children vulnerable to victimization by other groups or crews of youth taking those items;

 

  • Monitor your child’s internet activity. Gangs are on the WEB and it is important that parents monitor computer usage and text, & AIM activities of your kids;

 

In the end, if you feel something is “not right” it probably isn’t! Follow your instincts and call the DA’s Action Center at (718) 250-2340 with any concerns and possible referrals.

 

www.brooklynda.org

 

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