Teaching your kids how to be aware, but not afraid of their surroundings

It's important to make sure your kids are aware of their surroundings and know when a stranger might be dangerous.

Columbia, S.C. (WOLO) — It’s important to make sure your kids are aware of their surroundings and know when a stranger might be dangerous. If they see something, they should say something.

Todd Minemier is a school resource officer with Richland Co. Sheriff’s Department. He works to make sure local students know what a stranger is and how to recognize one.

“What is a stranger? Identify what a stranger is, someone that you do not know,” said Minemier. “I ask them to think about do I know the person’s name? Do I know where the person lives? Or do I know if the person has any tools or not? And if they don’t know the answers to those three questions, then the person probably is a stranger to them.”

He said the biggest thing is making sure kids are aware.

“I think it’s my role as a school resource officer, I think it’s parents’ role to making kids aware, but not afraid,” said Minemier. “I don’t want them to have any conversations with strangers, so I talk about if you feel someone following you in a car, or someone walking with you, or someone looking at you and you start to have that sixth sense where you’re feeling uncomfortable, is to get to a safe stranger.”

He teaches his students to say something if they see something suspicious, and who safe strangers are that kids can trust.

“There are always people in our community we can recognize through their uniforms,through their vehicles,” said Minemier. “They are strangers, but they are people that have been identified in the community as being safe, and people that can help them until your parents can be identified.”

He also teaches them how to be good witnesses.

“If you see someone, how would you describe someone? How would you describe me? Am I tall? Am I short? Is my hair thinning? Do I wear glasses? What shape are the glasses? Cars, what type of cars? How to identify tag numbers, colors of cars. Things that would make them a good witness so if something did happen, they can report the information to law enforcement,” said Minemier.

Minemier said he tells his students to always try and use the buddy system and never be alone if they can help it. He also tells them not to engage with strangers; but instead walk away, run away, or worst-case scenario fight back if need be. And never be afraid to call 911.