Safe Haven Program
We can all imagine what it would be like to be a child caught on the streets in a threatening situation looking for a safe place to go. In the past as young children some of us have sought out a safe haven - a neighborhood shop where the owner let us stay until our mother could come to get us. From this premise of a safe haven came the idea of the Safe Haven Program.
Safe Haven is a community program to help protect our children and seniors on the streets. On the Upper East Side it is coordinated by Parents League of New York. There are currently more than 380 Safe Havens participating in the program in the 19th Precinct. On the West Side of Manhattan in the 20th and 24th Precincts it is sponsored by the Westside Crime Prevention Program with over 300 participants.
Merchants and residential buildings who join the program are asked to put a decal on their doors or windows which says SAFE HAVEN in black letters on bright yellow background. This decal means they have agreed to let a child who is in trouble come and get assistance. This can be as simple as allowing the child to wait a few minutes until the perceived danger is past, or making a call home or to the police. Participants are not asked to get directly involved in crime situations.
The Safe Haven program is an ongoing concern of the Parents League whose members actively seek new SAFE HAVENS and periodically visit the current participating sites to be sure the program is being actively supported by members of the network. The program has been aided by the work of community groups and many committed citizens.
If you are a store owner and interested in becoming part of the Safe Haven network, please call The Parents League at 212.737.7385.
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