Sheriff`s Corner

Hello and welcome to the Sheriff's Corner. This week's Corner is in answer to several requests made after the abduction of Carlie Brucia in Sarasota County. The nightmare that every parent fears most happened and a wonderful young lady was taken.

In this case, Law Enforcement acted quickly and was able to make an arrest in the case. In following the story and seeing the tape of the young girl being led away I couldn't stop thing about how quickly this type of crime can happen and with the loss of Carlie Brucia's life how so many other lives are changed forever.

So what can we as parents do about keeping our children safe. First, I would have to suggest that they never go out alone at dusk or after dark. They should choose well-lighted areas to travel in preferably areas where people are. They should always walk confidently and be alert to what's going on around them. Always avoid strangers who are hanging around even if it's near their school, public restrooms or buildings they know.

If someone does approach when your child is out in public they should immediately get away. They should immediately yell for help if the person tries to touch them. They should also maintain a safe distance if the person even tries to talk to them. The more attention they draw to the situation the better the chance the attacker will stop the approach.

Obviously, this would be a terrifying situation for any young person. I think the best precaution to take is to be aware of your surroundings and not venture into "that" area where you become vulnerable and out of control. I think we all can learn from this tragedy in Sarasota. Take care.