This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
To the editors:
It is incontestable that our neighborhoods are in a state of crisis. Crime, violence, and fear are universal facts of neighborhood life.
When children travel to and from school without adult supervision, this unfortunate reality threatens their safety. The Safe Corridor program–where volunteers daily monitor a select route that is most heavily traveled by students in a particular neighborhood–is one promising strategy to address this problem.
As a collaboration between the community and the school, Safe Corridor provides a security blanket over the neighborhood, providing safety for not only the children but also for the local residents and businesses. Volunteers, identified by wearing bright vests and carrying walkie-talkies, report one-half hour prior to school’s opening and one-half hour prior to dismissal time. The corridor that they monitor serves as a base where information can be gathered and circulated to various agencies.
The Office of School Climate wants to assist any school in the District that would like to implement the Safe Corridor Program in their school’s community.
If just one child is kept out of harm’s way, then this effort will be worthwhile.
Lt. Maurice Tunstall
Office of School Climate and Safety,
School Police Operations
mtunstall@phila.k12.pa.us
215-875-3392