Keeping kids safe

It’s a good news story that could have had a much different ending. A 10-year-old Ajax girl thwarted an abduction attempt when the stranger who claimed he was sent by her mother didn’t know her family’s prearranged code word. As the Star’s Peter Edwards reports, the Applecroft Public School student told the man he had the wrong word and walked away. And in a stunning display of calm, the girl got a description of the car and a partial licence plate as the man and a waiting woman drove away. Now that is one street-proofed child. For all parents, the young student’s story provides both a cautionary tale and a lesson in the merits of teaching children safety rules. Even though the likelihood of a stranger abduction is extremely low, it’s best to be prepared. In this case, the parents’ code word made all the difference. As Durham Region Detective Dave Mason said, “It illustrates the importance of safety planning with your kids.” Street-proofing guides are readily available from any police department and most highlight the basic principles of safety: don’t talk to strangers, don’t accept gifts or rides from strangers and never invite strangers into your home or answer the door when you are alone. In the case of the Ajax student, she was able to give police a detailed description of the couple and their car, a small, blue-grey two-door sedan with a noticeable dent on the rear bumper, left of the license plate. She described the man as white, unshaven, with a medium build. He was wearing a grey hat, blue scarf and green jacket with red and black high-top sneakers. The woman was white, possibly in her late teens or early 20s with long blond hair. Impressive. So instead of hoping for the best, better to plan for the worst. In Ajax, one family must be thrilled they did just that.