Hays High School's Official Student Newspaper

The Guidon Online

Hays High School's Official Student Newspaper

The Guidon Online

Hays High School's Official Student Newspaper

The Guidon Online

Debolt tragedy vivid safety reminder

Alicia Debolt was just a kid like any of us are or once were.  She was just getting ready for her first day of high school. She spent the day with her family shopping for school clothes, and then vanished.

None of us really think we are going to be the one who has an Amber Alert issued for them.  Did Alicia think that?  It doesn’t matter so much as to what a person thinks, as to the reality of what could happen.

According to School Resource Officer Brian Dawson, there are several simple but effective things a person can do to stay safe.  First of all, Dawson recommended letting parents know where you are at and who you are with.  Keeping a cell phone around you in cases of emergency would be another, he said.

“If you call from a cell phone and you don’t know where you are at, dispatch may not be able to locate you,” Dawson said. “This is why you should always be aware of your surroundings.”

Dawson said it’s the little things like common sense and using your head that can keep you out of trouble.  If the curfew from the city is set for 11 p.m. for your age, then be home by that time, Dawson said.

“There is a reason to why they set the time,” he said.

If someone follows all these rules, but still end up in a bad situation, then call for help.  If you can’t call, then use self-defense to protect yourself.

“Using self-defense within reason means you can’t hit someone because they looked at you wrong,” Dawson said. “Another way to get out of a bad situation is run. Whether it be the nearest house you see, a business, or just away from where you are, run.”

Dawson said it’s a common belief a convicted felon has a curfew. However that is not true.

“The way the judicial system works is that if they serve the time, and don’t have probation for when they get out, then they are truly free,” he said.

On the other hand, Dawson said  if they have to serve probation or have pending court hearings, they shouldn’t be allowed to leave the state where the charges were filed. A final loophole is if a criminal is only on probation but wants to move to a different state, he can do so as long as they notify the new town within 10 days of moving.

Although this situation is horrible, it makes someone realize that even a small town can have harmful situations if one doesn’t watch their surroundings.

“Use your head, make good choices, put good people around you that you know, and always let your folks know who you’re with, and what you’re doing,” Dawson said.

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