Dexter Yarbrough Police Officer <br/> <br/>As all parent know, every bird must leave the nest when the time is right. For the average American family, this time often comes when young adults graduate high school and leave for college. Ideally, this experience makes for a great transition into the professional realm known as the &quot;real world.&quot; As students, young adults are given the opportunity to operate on their own with few social responsibilities. They have the freedom to create new social circles, while also learning to take after themselves. Some are cooking and doing laundry for themselves for the first time in their lives. For most, college also entails uninhibited partying. With all this in mind, it is understandable for parents to be concerned for their son or daughter's safety. It is therefore vital that new college students be educated as to properly taking care of their personal safety. <br/> <br/>First and foremost, it is important they understand the repercussions of drinking alcohol. Everyone has different limits, and they have to figure this out for themselves. Along with knowing your limits so as not to make yourself sick, also understand that as a new member to you community, you are vulnerable to a certain extent when you are out at night. This is especially true when you are inebriated and more likely to make poor decisions. Never get in a car with people you don't know. If you go out to bars, never walk home by yourself. <br/> <br/>As freshman, most students will live in dormitories. Not only does this living situation make for a good transition to living in a house, cooking, paying bills, etc, it provides a safer, more structured environment in which residents of the housing association can keep a better watch for freshman safety. Furthermore, they can educate students as to the dangers in their community. Once a student does make the move off campus, it is important they pick a house in a safe location. Remember, cheaper does not always mean better.

Dexter Yarbrough : <br/>Pets are constant companions, and many pet owners consider them to be every bit a member of the family. The majority of American households have at least one pet, but these family members are too often overlooked in your home security plan. <br/> <br/>Having pets presents some unique home security challenges. In some cases, the entries and exits for your animals become an access point for a burglar. Could a burglar use your dog door to break into the back door of your home? Do you usually leave a window open so that your cats can get outside at night? Once you have pets, make sure that your daily routine does not present weaknesses that can be exploited by intruders. <br/> <br/>In the past, having pets and a home security system was a bit frustrating. Old styles of motion detectors were often set off accidentally by pets. Today's more sophisticated motion detectors are able to tell the difference between a pet and a person. You won't have to worry about a false alarm after the motion detector is triggered by the movements of a family pet. If you've had bad experienced with an overly sensitive motion detector in the past, rest assured that today's detectors are designed with pets in mind. These motion detector alarms are a critical part of any home security plan, alerting you to potential intruders who have made it into your home. <br/> <br/>Pets should also be taken into account when planning other aspects of your emergency plan. Your emergency kit, if you have one, probably contains everything your family would need to survive at least a few days. If you don't have any emergency kit at all, of course, you need one. Families that are prepared with an emergency kit often overlook the needs of their pets. Don't forget to include pet foods, any necessary pet medications, and perhaps a way of restraining your pet in case your home is no longer safe to enter. You don't want Fluffy or Fido to run away in the aftermath of an earthquake, after all!