After a long day at work, the students gathered at the conference room in Flushing, YMCA at 9pm for what was going to be an interesting and engaging talk by the New York Police Department (NYPD).
Sergeant Ray Morales and Officer Robert Sulmer from the NYPD shared with the students important tips on staying out of harm's way in New York. The talk was engaging and gave the students a refreshing perspective on how they could keep themselves safe from criminals.
The students learnt that there were three elements which were needed for a crime to take place: motive, desire, and opportunity. Though people mostly cannot influence a criminal's motive and desire, they could certainly not give him an opportunity to strike. Both officers from the NYPD kept the students engaged throughout the talk, and shared compellingly from their wealth of experience.
Another interesting lesson the students learnt was how to react in the event that they were attacked by a criminal. To much of their surprise, they learnt that instead of screaming for help, they should scream 'fire', which would function better in grabbing the attention of passers-by in the area. Both officers also stressed the importance of trusting one's own instincts, especially when danger lurks around us.
"I've said it and I'll say it again. Always trust your instinct! If something in your heart tells you that there is danger, go with it! Your first instinct is probably right." Officer Sulmer said.
The officers concluded the talk with a hearty question-and-answer session, where the students had many pertinent questions for both officers. There was also a photo-taking session. To end off the night, the Student Advisory Board (SAB) planned a surprise birthday party for Dacheng, a student whose birthday was on the same day as the NYPD safety talk. Much laughter and merry-making followed before the students departed for their rooms.
"I've learnt so much from the safety talk by NYPD!" Judy recollected. "I've realized that I have a personal responsibility of keeping myself safe by consciously taking the relevant measures such as not going out alone. It's been a really informative session!"
