As students head back to school next week, Portage la Prairie RCMP is reminding families to stay vigilant and prioritize safety.
Constable Robert Smith, the school liaison officer, spoke with Portage Online about what parents and students should know to start the school year off safely.
Traffic safety first
“Students should be reminded to use sidewalks when available and to look both ways before crossing a street, ensuring any oncoming motorist sees them and has come to a complete stop before the student proceeds to cross the street," he noted. "In addition, students walking on a roadway without a sidewalk should be reminded to walk on the shoulder towards oncoming traffic. This will help increase the student's visibility on the roadway, giving the student more time to react as the vehicle approaches and allows for both the driver and the student to see each other.”
He adds that walking with a buddy or in groups is an important safety measure.
“Students should be reminded to report any suspicious activity to a safe, trusted adult immediately, whether that be a parent, grandparent, teacher, principal, or so on. The safe, trusted adult can then handle the incident appropriately and can report the incident to the police or school if necessary.”
Cst. Smith gives examples of suspicious activity, such as strangers trying to speak with students or persuade them to get into vehicles.
“Students should never speak to strangers or get into any vehicles that are not known to them. Students should be reminded to report to their nearest safe adult immediately should anything of this nature occur to them,” he continues.
Helmets and locks
Safety on wheels is also a priority.
Cst. Smith remarks, “Students biking, skateboarding, or scootering to school should be wearing protective equipment such as a helmet and should follow all traffic safety regulations. Students should be locking their equipment up at the school, either in the school or in the designated bike racks nearest to the school, with a lock to deter any criminal activity such as theft.”
He notes that parents and motorists also play a key role.
“Parents and all motorists need to follow all traffic laws to ensure all students get to school safely. For example, parents and motorists need to follow speed limits in residential areas and school zones. Parents and motorists need to ensure that they are completely stopping for traffic control devices such as stop signs and are stopping for stop school buses with their stop signs extended and lights flashing.”
Increased patrols
To support these measures, Cst. Smith mentions, “Students, parents, motorists, and the community as a whole should notice an increase in police presence in both school zones and in residential areas during the morning, lunch, and end of school hours. We will be monitoring these areas to ensure motorists are complying with all traffic laws, and we will enforce any such traffic infractions accordingly.”
He adds, “We’ll be monitoring these areas for any suspicious activity, and we’ll be addressing any such incidents accordingly.”
Common trends
Cst. Smith notes some recurring safety concerns.
“Motorists continue to pass stopped school buses when their stop signs are extended and red lights are flashing. Motorists need to use extreme caution when approaching a stopped school bus, as students may be either loading or unloading. Young students specifically may be nearby and may unintentionally run out in front of your vehicle.”
He continues, “If they're caught passing a stopped school bus with their stop sign extended and red lights flashing, a ticket of $672 could be issued. Buses are equipped with dash cameras that record the roadway and record incidents as they happen.”
Cst. Smith also remarks on theft risks.
“We’ve had several incidents over the past few years where students bring their bikes or scooters to school and leave them outside the school, either unlocked or not in designated bike rack locations. Students need to either bring their property into the school or leave it locked in the designated bike racks at the school, where they’re in view of the school surveillance system and in view of staff at the school.”
Continued initiatives
Cst. Smith adds, “We’ll be continuing our patrols in residential and school zones to ensure compliance with traffic laws and to deter any suspicious activity or criminal incidents. We will continue to work closely with schools to ensure appropriate safe plans are in place, and we’ll address any potential issues or areas of concern immediately.”
As the school year begins, Cst. Smith’s guidance highlights the importance of teamwork between students, parents, and the RCMP to keep Portage’s children safe.
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