"7-Year Old's Bravery Gives Parents an Opportunity to Talk About Stranger Danger"

Buchanan: Haralson County Sheriff Eddie Mixon believes that the bravery of a seven year old Tallapoosa Primary School student, in using safety lessons she learned at her school, offers parents a perfect opportunity to share life saving information with their children about avoiding abduction. Mixon says, “The courage of (the young girl) who escaped from an abductor last week, has amazed our community. Now thanks to (her), child abduction has become a common topic of discussion both in the news and around the dinner table. The truth is, just because we are in a rural area, we are not free from danger. (Her) case is a reminder that crime is an always present danger in every community.” Sheriff Mixon hopes that parents will follow these tips in teaching their children about stranger danger.

· Children should always tell their parents where they are going and when they will be back.

· Make sure children know their home phone number and address, and their parents’ work and cell phone numbers. (It may be helpful for children to write these numbers on a card to carry with them so they will always be able to reach their parents.)

· Encourage children to walk and play with friends, not alone.

· Tell children to avoid places that could be dangerous; such as vacant buildings, alleys, playgrounds, or parks with broken equipment and litter.

· Make sure your children are taking the safest routes to and from school, stores, and friends’ homes. Walk the routes together and point out places they could go for help.

· Encourage kids to be alert in the neighborhood, and tell an adult – a parent, a teacher, a neighbor, a law officer – about anything they see that doesn’t seem right.

· Decide on a code word with your child. So that if someone comes to them and says, “Your mommy and daddy told me to pick you up,” but doesn’t say the code word, they know not to go with that person.

· Finally, should someone grab your child, teach them to kick and scream and shout “I do not know this person.” Unfortunately, a child struggling during abduction is often mistaken for an unruly child. The key phase is “I don’t know this person.”

For more information about crime prevention programs please contact

The Haralson County Sheriff’s Office at 770-646-2011.