With the holiday season now underway, I would like take time to discuss some of the local, state, and federal resources available to help keep our children safe.

Specifically, I want to bring attention to several resources listing the most recent toy and product recalls.

Most stores have pulled many recalled toys and products from their shelves.

However, just in case they are accidentally sold at garage sales, thrift stores, or other alternative shopping sites like Craigs List, it's good information to have available.

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with tracking all toy and product recalls.

Consumers can search by date and product category on the website and locate items such as toys, household products, sports and recreation products, and non-toy children’s products at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerel.html.

Likewise, the Texas Attorney General maintains a list of consumer alerts for toy safety. A detailed list of the recalled toys can be found in the “News Releases” or “Consumer Alert” section of the Attorney General’s Web site at http://www.oag.state.tx.us/index.shtml

School Safety

The Dallas Police Department (DPD) has put together some quick tips for children who ride the bus, walk or bike to school, or ride in a car to school.

Some of these tips include walking with a buddy, finding a safe place to wait for the bus, and making sure the child’s seat belt fits properly.

You can find the complete list at the DPD website.
(http://www.dallaspolice.net/index.cfm?page_ID=2714&subnav=53&openid=6)

The Attorney General’s office provides several online guides and resources for students, parents, and teachers dealing with school safety, specifically during emergency times.

An online video, “Saving Lives When Seconds Count” helps adults understand the importance of emergency procedures while the “School Crime and Discipline Handbook” reviews all applicable laws regarding drug and alcohol policies, classroom discipline, and child abuse.

Readers may visit the Attorney General’s website to access these materials and to also understand the school safety audit process.

Also available is information about forming a Campus Crime Stoppers Program for your school.
(http://www.oag.state.tx.us/criminal/schoolsafety.shtml)