School resources | Crime prevention | DARE | Road safety | Violence prevention | No Bully

 

Crime prevention and social responsibility

Programmes in this theme are designed to help young people behave responsibly and obey the law. They learn about policing and ways that they can help Police prevent crime.

• The Changing Role of Women in New Zealand Police
• Photopack - People and Police
• Photopack - Role of Police
• Search and Rescue
• Stealing
• Vandalism
• Burglary-Free

 

The changing role of women in New Zealand Police

This resource kit considers the changing status and role of women in Police since the time of the police matrons.

The Changing Roles kit aims to provide opportunities for students to explore the reasons for, and the effects of changes in the role of women in Police. They also consider Police work as a career for young women.

It is designed to fit within secondary school social studies programmes.

Target Audience: School Age Years 10-13

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Photopack - People and Police

A set of 16 colour pictures, poster size and mounted on card.

The People and Police photopack aims to present children with visual images of Police at work and the ways they interact with the community.

Target Age Group: School Age Years 0-8

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Photopack - Role of Police

A set of 30 photographs illustrating the role of Police in society, with accompanying notes.

The Role of Police photopack aims to present children and young people with visual images which demonstrate the main Police functions including:

• Protecting people and their property
• Preventing crime
• Detecting and apprehending offenders
• Maintaining law and order

Target Audience: School Age Years 0-13

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Search and Rescue

A multi media kit designed to help young people develop an understanding of the role of search and rescue teams.

Search and Rescue aims to help children and young people develop skills and knowledge to keep themselves and others safe when they are in the outdoors. They learn what to do if an emergency should arise.

Target Audience: School Age Years 4-10

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Stealing

This multimedia kit looks at why people steal, ways of overcoming temptation, the consequences of stealing and sensible alternatives to get the things we want or need.

It includes a discussion starter for parents and caregivers.

Target Audience: School Age years 5 - 10

Some practical advice for parents and caregivers

What can you do to prevent your child stealing?

• Explain that stealing is wrong.
• Expect and show honesty.
• Help children to recognise and overcome the temptation to steal.
• Talk to children about how we feel when someone steals our possessions.
• Show them sensible alternatives to stealing to get the things that they need or want.
• Help them to sort out what things they can't have.
• Ask Police to run a parents' discussion meeting on stealing, at your local school.

What do I do if my child steals?

• Keep calm and talk it through together.
• Decide on the consequences as a family.
• Assist them to return stolen goods and to apologise to the owner.

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Vandalism

A resource package that includes a teaching guide, two sets of photos and role-play cards.

It looks at what vandalism is, why it occurs, the costs and consequences and the ways that communities can work together to prevent it.

Target Audience: School Age Years 5-10

Some practical advice for parents and caregivers

What do I do if my child vandalises?

• Keep calm and talk it through together.
• Decide on consequences as a family.
• Go with your child to apologise to the owner of the property.
• Help them to put the damage right.

What can I do to stop my child vandalising property?

• Teach children to take care of their property from an early age.
• Show children how carefully you look after your own property.
• Talk about what vandalism is and how it spoils the environment.
• Explain that all property belongs to someone.
• Talk about how people feel when their things are damaged and destroyed.
• Help children to find positive ways to use their leisure time.
• Give them skills to resist pressure from their peers.

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Burglary-Free - a strategy for primary schools and their communities

The national survey of Crime Victims 1996 showed that burglary is one of the most feared, most intrusive crimes in New Zealand. Burglary is not just a crime against property, it is a crime against people.

Police are working on prevention and enforcement strategies to lower the burglary rate and increase the numbers of cases involved. One effective way of reducing burglary through prevention is to increase awareness among the communities, and to encourage people to share the responsibility for making their homes, property and communities safer. 'Burglary-Free' is designed to increase such awareness.

Aim

To create burglary-free zones around schools and their communities.

General objectives

• To raise awareness within the school and its community of burglary and its consequences.
• To enable schools and their communities to use preventative strategies to keep people and their property safe.
• To provide information on what to do when a home has been burgled.

Partnership

A partnership approach is likely to be most effective in reducing the incidence and effects of burglary in communities. Three key partners are identified has having a role in Burglary-Free. These are the school, community agencies such as Neighbourhood Support and Safer Community Councils, and Police. Police can provide schools with ideas and materials and can make staff, particularly Area Controllers, police education officers and community constables available to assist.

The resource

Burglary-Free is a book that contains information and ideas for schools. The material is in two sections.

PART A   Strategies for the Whole School Community
This includes a range of activities the school can do, with help from Police and community, to help raise awareness of burglary, and to encourage families and community people to take preventative action.

PART B   Activities for the Classroom
Lessons and extension activities are provided for junior, middle and senior primary classes. Some of these will involve students taking anti-burglary messages to families and community. The lessons have been planned to fit within the New Zealand Curriculum Framework. Police education officers and community constable can help with these.

Getting the resource

Police have the resource available for schools and community groups. [Police Officers can order copies of Burglary-Free from SERCO.]