Parents of school-aged children are asked to pay special attention to this report: The issue of child safety has taken on more urgency due to recent incidents in which middle and upper school students have been confronted on neighborhood streets, and robbed of money, cell phones or iPods. Children of any age, walking alone or in small groups, are likely to be targets of older and bigger children, especially when they’re carrying desirable “stuff.”

First and foremost, we need to remind everyone, especially parents, about the importance of reporting all incidents to the police. If the police are informed, whether the victim has been robbed or merely felt threatened, foot patrols will be assigned based on the location and frequency of the incidents.

Captain Abel, who commands the 84th Precinct, has already increased the police presence in response to reported incidents, and he has reached out to school administrators in the area for their help in raising the consciousness of parents and students.

If a child returns home to report that he or she was followed or menaced, even if nothing was taken, parents should call 911 immediately to file a complaint. Even if the call to the police is a day later, it is still important to get it on the record and included in the statistics. If you are more comfortable speaking with an officer in the 84th Precinct’s Community Affairs Unit, call 718-875-6850.