BUENA PARK : Police Offer Tips to Latchkey Children

The Buena Park Police Department has started a program in the Buena Park School District to teach latchkey children--those who come home from school to empty houses--how to take care of themselves.

The effort began this week with a presentation by a crime-prevention officer at Charles G. Emery School with a presentation for fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders.

Officer Sharon Parsons told the pupils that they must stay alert to get home safely and to keep themselves safe while they wait for an adult to get home.

“The phone rings and a stranger on the line says he needs to speak to your mother because your father has been hurt in a bad accident. You are home alone. What do you do?” Parsons asked.

The boys and girls sat quietly, looking puzzled.

“Tell the person your mother is busy and you would be happy to take a message,” Parsons told them. “Never let anyone know you are home alone.”

“What you have to do is use common sense,” she said.

The children were told what to say when they have dialed 911 and were advised to eat snacks that don’t require cooking.

Although they do not have an exact count, school district officials said they suspect that the number of latchkey children has been growing over the past few years.

Sandra Barry, district assistant superintendent, said one indicator is the heavy demand for after-school day care. Barry said that since the district began offering such care four years ago, the programs have been filled to capacity. “We feel we could easily fill more programs if we had them,” she said.

Parsons said she is confident that children can learn to take care of themselves, and she cited a recent incident to make her point. A man who said he had lost his dog asked some children whether they had seen it. “All he asked was if they saw the dog,” Parsons said, “but the children went running into the house. Kids are smart. They have to be.”