St. Martin News Network

Philipsburg:--- The police department are calling on parents to take the necessary precautions this carnival season to safe guard their children. Interim police spokesman Geronimo Juliet said lately the police noticed that several children are being reported missing, as such they are calling on parents to know where their children are at all times. Parents they said must develop a list of phone numbers of the friends of their children and their parents whom they can contact to find out their children's whereabouts if they are missing. Parents must also ensure that their children (young children) wear an identification badge with their names and phone numbers so that police can easily identify them if they are found wandering. Parents should not make their children become afraid of the police because they are not monsters. Juliet said there are parents who would tell young children that the police will come for them when they misbehave. This he said has caused children to be afraid of the police. "We are not monsters and we want children to know that the police are their friends, they need to trust the police since the police in several instances have to be lawyers, judges, psychiatrists, reporter, medics, marriage counselors, investigators, firefighters, and many times, just a good listener. So when we correct children is not because we hate them is because we care and love them." Juliet said.
Furthermore, the police are calling on parents to beware when taking children around this carnival season. Parents with very young children should not be marching behind the bands with their children as this can cause hearing defects for small children. Juliet said constantly police are seeing mothers carrying their young children behind the trailers with loud music. He said loud music contributes heavily to hearing loss and it also brings on complicated issues related to heart disease.
During infancy and childhood, youngsters exposed to high noise levels may experience learning difficulties and generally suffer poorer health. Later in life, they may have trouble falling asleep and obtaining necessary amounts of rest. Parents are urged to use ear plugs and to keep a safe distance away from the loud music.