Police officials offered some necessary safety tips to parents and children during a press conference yesterday.
With more than 500 traffic accidents already recorded for the year on the streets of Grand Bahama, Assistant Superintendent Welbourne Bootle, who heads the Road Traffic Division, said that motorists should be mindful that there will be more pedestrians on the roadways.
"With school closed we expect for more kids to be out and about walking the streets. We want drivers to be aware of that and know that there are children who do not know the rules of the road and we depend on motorists to be on the lookout," Bootle said.
He added that parents should not leave their children unattended in running vehicles or alone in vehicles in the summer heat.
Some children will undoubtedly be left at home during the summer, Bootle said but parents should keep them engaged in constructive activities.
Press Liaison officer, ASP Loretta Mackey said that this is the time when the police control room is bombarded by prank calls from school children and parents should monitor this as well.
"The control room is the heartbeat of Grand Bahama Island for the police operation and we do not want to be dealing with those types of calls when we can be answering emergency calls," she said.
"Children should also be warned not to open the door for strangers and children should report any suspicious activity in their area."
Officer Elie Ariscar of the Police Fire Department advised that children should not use matches or gas stoves while they are home alone.
He added that if children plan to play outside they should not climb trees with electrical wires running through them or fly kites during storms.
Meanwhile, officer Christina King of the Eight Mile Rock District, warned that children should not go swimming unattended and should avoid small bodies of water.
King also urged parents to monitor the activities of their children on the Internet and ensure that they are not posting negative pictures or videos.
