Residents of San Tan Valley, located 45 miles east of Phoenix, had previously felt secure in their community.
Children playing freely filled the streets between the homes and the community park.
But a current occurrence has the populace in a state of panic.
A man driving a white SUV approached a 10-year-old girl and her friend as they were making their way home.
He made an attempt to talk the girl into getting in the car.
This man, a white man in his forties, had a short beard and covered most of his face with his hand during the conversation.
The 10-year-old was informed of an incident involving her brothers and instructed to board the vehicle as soon as possible. She asked the man for “the codeword” as a test because she felt off. He was wearing a red shirt. This unexpected request caused him to flee.
A codeword is frequently advised in these situations to increase child safety. Only parents and their kids are aware of the codeword, which is a secret phrase.
According to Busy Parents Online, this term ought to be simple for kids to remember but difficult for strangers to figure out.
The right codeword must be used when someone comes to pick up the child; otherwise, they will not be allowed to have the child with them.
The girl’s family had, thankfully, just recently created a codeword system. We came up with it a few months ago, her mother Brenda James told ABC15. In a recent article, it was mentioned. The girl’s life might have been saved if they had taken this easy precaution, so their timing was fortunate.
Sheriff Mark Lamb thinks that this incident should serve as a warning to parents who are worried about the dangers of the internet. In addition to being wary in public areas like malls and parks, internet predators are a threat.
Lamb commended the parents for teaching their children to be wary of strangers and using a codeword. By telling this story, the author hopes to encourage other parents to talk with their kids about safety and to create plans for emergency situations so that their kids will know what to do.
In order to keep their children safe, parents should rely on more than codewords, according to Stu Auty, the founding president of the Canadian Safe School Network and a seasoned education expert with more than 30 years of experience.
Auty advises parents to teach their kids to tell an adult if they think they are being watched and to go find the nearest adult if they are approached by a stranger.
A child should never travel alone, which is also crucial. Auty emphasizes that children should never be left alone, particularly while traveling to and from school. They need to be with them all the time. ”.