WHEELER ARMY AIRFIELD, Hawaii - Throughout this school year, there already have been too many close calls with drivers not seeing children around our schools.
Parents who are parking have caused most of these predicaments by stopping on the side of the road - sometimes even on the sidewalks - to drop off or pick up their children.
These stops make it almost impossible for other drivers to see children.
Causing still more problems, children are forced to walk around stopped cars, sometimes going into the street. Yet, all of our schools have a designated drop-off and pick-up area to help keep traffic flowing safely.
The Directorate of Emergency Services, Wheeler Elementary and Wheeler Middle schools are now lining the sidewalks with large traffic cones. These cones are just another way to remind parents not to stop or park on the side of the road.
Another fantastic program to keep children safe is the Crossing Guard Program. Hale Kula Elementary School has a great program that could be exported to other on-post schools. Children wear yellow vests and hard hats, and with the assistance of a few adults, they help regulate the major intersections around the school to help parents and children cross safely.
These children are performing a critical function and keeping many others safe by serving as crossing guards. As a reminder, drivers must give these children a break and obey their traffic signals. With a little patience and care displayed by drivers around our schools, we can reduce close calls.
Again, please help keep our children safe. Obey all traffic regulations, especially around our schools.
Anonymous crime tips program
Community members may submit anonymous crime tips to Military Police stations via text messaging or a computer.
To submit a text message tip through a personal cell phone, complete the following steps:
1) Type "TIP730" and provide tip information (e.g., John Doe stole a plasma TV from 123 Main St.).
2) Type "crimes" (or the numbers 274637) in the "to" line.
3) Hit "send."
To submit a tip via a computer:
1) Go to <a href="https://www.tipsubmit.com/start.htm">https://www.tipsubmit.com/start.htm</a>.
2) Enter country and state information, and select either Schofield or Shafter from the pull-down menus.
3) Provide as much tip information as you have on the web page.
4) Click on "submit tip."
Tipsters are provided an alias to allow for anonymous two-way communication should the MP station require more information.
Report emergencies by dialing 911 or by contacting the Schofield Barracks and Fort Shafter MP stations at 808-655-7114 and 808-438-7114, respectively. A-"A?
(Editor's Note: "Straight Talk" is a monthly column appearing in the <a href="http://www.hawaiiarmyweekly.com">Hawaii Army Weekly</a>, U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii's official post newspaper. It is written by the director of the Directorate of Emergency Services. Click <a href="http://www.hawaiiarmyweekly.com/news/category/straight-talk">here</a> to view past columns.)
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