country programs
School's out! Summer's here!
At
a loss for good crime watching activities to undertake with the
long summer holidays stretching before you? The age
of students in your Youth Crime Watch program will dictate what sort
of activities might be most appropriate for them. Here are some suggestions
for activities at the elementary and secondary school levels.
Elementary school level
Elementary students need repetition and benefit from activities and events. Involve students in as many aspects of the planning and executing of their events as possible.
- Summer safety day
- Bicycle safety day
- Crime Watch Day
- Shoplifting prevention day
- Stranger safety day
- Gang prevention day (6th grade)
- Drug abuse prevention day
- Pedestrian safety day
- Vandalism patrol
- Poster contests and art fairs
- Field trips to law enforcement agencies
- Safety-themed scavenger hunts
- Anonymous crime reporting
Secondary school level
Activities for older students can include focusing on current issues and reaching out to the community and other age groups to teach safety and model good citizenship. Students at this age level should take the lead in designing their YCW program for the summertime.
- Day in the park
- Drama, music, or other performance troupe
- Art contests
- Open community meetings
- Park or playground patrol
- Neighborhood festival
- Visiting shut-ins
- Peer counseling
- Drop-in center
- Anonymous crime reporting
Topics for discussion groups and presentations might include:
- Alcohol and drug prevention
- Conflict management
- Gangs and cults
- Property crimes and vandalism
- Personal safety
- Sex education/teenage pregnancy
- Sexual assault and acquaintance rape
- Motor vehicle responsibility
- Youth leadership
- Youth-to-police relationship
(Find out more about doing effective education projects.)