Brooke de Lench was watching one of her sons play in a high school football game, and what she saw worried her. He looked slow. Confused. Uncoordinated. No one else seemed to notice, but she saw enough to set off alarm bells. It wasn’t just that he was having an off day. A visit to the doctor confirmed her fears: her son was suffering from the residual effects of at least one concussion, and possibly more.
At the Calgary Police Service, we know that if you get to kids early, give them the foundations of resiliency, and help guide them toward a positive path, we can create stronger communities for our future. By addressing things like unhealthy choices and relationships, bullying, online safety, drugs, and gang activity early on, we can help children avoid negative influences in their life. It is never too early to start thinking about and having these important discussions with your children. Through partnerships with the community, we are committed to assisting with this by delivering different crime prevention, education, and intervention programs targeted at children and youth.
You’ve waited all week and now it’s finally here: date night! You’ve found a babysitter, checked their references, and left a list of emergency contact information. Your highly recommended babysitter even has certified training! According to your thoughtfully laid plans, the babysitter knows what to serve your kids for dinner, whether to limit your kids’ screen time, and when to put them to bed. But there’s one more conversation to have before you leave for date night. In this age of over-sharing, it’s important to talk to your babysitter about your expectations for digital safety.
Getting to know your neighbours is one of the first steps you can take to help build a safe community for you and your children. As a police service, we rely on you to know what’s normal in your community and let us know when something suspicious is happening. Your neighbours are one of the best lines of defence to deter crime, and so it’s important to foster a good relationship with them.
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