Police Delivers Important Safety Messages

Areej Raza has submitted an excellent report on a recent Life Choices visit to Bablake by the police:

On Friday 3 March, PCSO Ellie Parry came to talk to Fourth and Fifth year Bablake pupils about staying safe when out and about. She had a lot of advice on how to be more aware and avoid potentially difficult situations. Some of her more memorable pieces of advice were:

• Try to avoid antisocial behaviour on the streets, such as shouting loudly to friends. Older people can be quite nervous when groups of young people are shouting; actions that might seem funny to you and your friends are not seen as funny by others, especially more vulnerable members of the community.
• Know that the age of criminal responsibility is 10 years. This means that you can be arrested if you do something illegal. A continuation of bad behaviour could give you a criminal record. In the future, when you may want to apply for a university or a job, many employers will look at your criminal record as well as your job application. If they find something unappealing, they may reject your application altogether regardless of anything else.
• When you are outside with friends, it is safer to stay within your group. It should be everyone’s responsibility to look out for friends and ensure that everyone is safe getting home. This includes booking taxis from reputable taxi firms and never taking a lift from a stranger. If you do find yourself on your own, especially when it is dark, stick to well-lit streets, let parents know where you are and when to expect you home.
• Avoid wearing earphones when out and about. You cannot hear what is going on around and you are less ready to react, if there is a problem such as a group of people approaching from behind with the intention of doing you harm. Also, the white design of the Apple earphones immediately alerts potential criminals that you are most likely to be carrying an Apple device. These and other phones are expensive and by wearing brand earphones, you are telling the thief, who is possibly watching you, that you are carrying that expensive item. Also, many thieves can take your phone out of your back pocket without you even realising, so always keep your phone in an 'out of sight' pocket or sealed bag.

Thank you, Areej, for your excellent article and we trust all our pupils (and parents) follow this advice.