Law enforcement makes KMC safe for children

The 86th Security Forces Squadron, 569th U.S. Forces Police Squadron and the local Air Force Office of Special Investigations detachment have recently combined efforts to make the community safer for children.

Various briefings, the KMC Neighborhood Watch Program, and the child supervision matrix are some examples of how this joint force has been providing increased security for the KMC. One recent example is a children identification card that parents can present security forces in the event of a lost child. “We’re here providing parents another avenue to exploit just in case their child is missing,” said Tech. Sgt. Kent Bass, 86th SFS bravo flight chief. “These cards can be brought in for security forces members to identify the missing child and spread the word for personnel to look for them.” The cards have various identifying information for those searching for the child to use.

“These identification cards give parents a current photo, along with some basic information about their child to provide security forces members in the event their child gets lost, say at the exchange or another location,” said Jaclyn Werner, 569th USFPS criminal investigator. “This process allows security forces members to shut the gates down and take other measures to find the child.” Security forces members ensure child safety by making sure parents and bystanders are upholding the child supervision matrix. “The child supervision matrix provides parents an outline of what children can and cannot do, broken up into age brackets,” she said. “We want to stress that child safety ultimately falls on the parents, but also applies to bystanders. We want to remind people that if you see children playing at a park unattended to say something, or call security forces.”

Parents can also take precautionary steps to ensure their child is prepared in the event they get separated from their parents. “Parents can take time to prepare children by using memory games or songs to make sure their child knows their parent’s names, their phone number and address, in case separation occurs,” said  investigator Freddy Munoz, AFOSI joint force protection team member. “Parents can also prepare their children by explaining people they haven’t been introduced to are strangers and that they shouldn’t leave with anyone they haven’t met before.”

For questions concerning child safety or other community safety programs, call the 86th SFS at 06371-47-2050 or 314-480-2050, or the 569th USFPS at 0631-536-6060 or 489-6060.