VAN NUYS : Police Help Organize Safe House Program

Soon to be seen in the windows of homes across the San Fernando Valley, a six-inch green triangle is well on its way to becoming a household symbol for safety.

Following the lead of the Los Angeles Police Department’s West Valley Division, several other Valley divisions are helping schools and Neighborhood Watch groups organize the Safe House program--which identifies a pre-screened residence as a sanctuary for children to flee in an emergency.

Prompted by a series of molester attacks on children in the fall, the West Valley division launched the Safe House program in January, targeting all 32 of its region’s elementary schools. More than 50 residents have already been screened and are awaiting the arrival of the triangles to place in their windows. In addition, the Safe Houses will be marked with a smaller triangle painted on the curb next to the address.

Senior Lead Officer Stephanie Tisdale of the West Valley Division modeled the effort after a program begun at Van Nuys’ Erwin Street Elementary School in 1992, in an attempt to get the community involved in making streets safer for children. Only one Erwin Street student has used a Safe House and in that case it was a non-emergency.

Recruited through Neighborhood Watch groups and schools, the Safe House volunteers must be screened by police, who will check for criminal records and require two recommendations from neighbors. The residents must agree to be home from 7 to 9 a.m. and between 2 and 4 p.m. when children walk to and from school. In addition, the triangles will be numbered through a complex system so police will be able to spot unauthorized ones that might be placed in windows to lure children inside.