Shielding children

Deirdre Newman

After the recent rash of Southern California kidnappings,

Newport-Mesa families on Tuesday learned valuable tips to prevent

abductions as they joined a nationwide effort of crime and drug

prevention.

The 19th annual National Night Out encouraged residents across the

nation to lock their doors, turn on their outside lights and spend

the evening outside with neighbors and police.

In Newport Beach, the event at Mariners Park drew hundreds of

residents whose top priority is keeping their children safe.

“I wanted [my children] to hear the talk about strangers and

safety in light of what’s been going on, in addition to hearing it on

TV,” said Tommy Rainey while his son, William, 6, donned a police

helmet and stuck his head above a cardboard cut-out of a police

officer.

This is the first year the Stranger Danger talks have been part of

Newport Beach’s National Night Out precisely for that reason, event

organizer Andi Querry said.

“Here we are in a public place where these type of things can

happen,” Querry said. “It’s important for parents to hear again and

remind them they have to go over it with their kids on a daily

basis.”

The event also enabled the community to hang out in a casual

setting with law enforcement officers.

“It shows that the police aren’t all tough guys like you see on

‘COPS,’ ” said Kelsey Rico, an 18-year-old police explorer. “They can

be decent people too.”

In addition to abduction prevention tips, the evening featured a

SWAT display, a police motorcycle that kids could try out and a

variety of fun games that tied into the overarching message of crime

prevention.

The games appealed to Newport Beach resident Hannah Nance, 7, who

said she also learned not to go outside by herself.

Although Newport Beach is considered a safe area by many of its

residents, Sgt. Steve Shulman said people should not get lulled into

a false sense of security.

“Crime happens everywhere, including Newport Beach, and being

aware of your surroundings is always helpful,” Shulman said. “We

[always] have new people moving in who need to be educated.”

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at deirdre.newman@latimes.com.