Kindergartners got a visit from their neighbors Tuesday.
In this case the neighbors were six officers from the Houston Police Department-Southwest Patrol. They showed up at the mult-conference room to remind students about safety, especially at a time when Halloween is less than two weeks away.
The officers emphasized five main points from their "Stranger danger" Wikipedia handouts:
* Don't talk to strangers.
* Don't tell anybody your name.
* Don't let strangers touch your food and drink
* Don't help strangers
* If someone acts too friendly in a theater, complain to an usher or the manager.
The police officers are members of the South Patrol Division's Burglary Apprehension (BAT) team that formed in October 2007 to address the increase in residential and business burglaries that were occurring in the southwest area of Houston. Since then, the team says it has worked hard in the community, resulting in a decrease in stolen property crimes. The crime-fighting unit is composed of veteran officers from 15 to 25 years of service within the police apartment.
The officers' appearance at Varnett was part of activities planned for Community Helpers Week.
Members of the team interacted with the students and quizzed them after giving short presentations. Most, if not all, raised their hands when asked if they wanted to be police officers.
The officers were Jonathan Hicks, Juan Adalpe, Cecilio Pena, Lynn Zamora, John Watson and Michael Flores.
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