With the help of the New York Police Department, CCIP organized a safety briefing to educate the new arrivals about personal safety tips for reducing instances of crime and spotting potential scams. With their safety being a top priority, this was a great way for the students to learn how to navigate the city's streets and subways without becoming a victim.
Officer Semler spoke for about an hour, explaining what types of behaviors make visitors most susceptible to thieves and other criminals. He illustrated his talk with stories about past victims and explained how a few simple precautions could have made all the difference.
"When you hear about New York City, you are always told it's a big city and there are a lot of dangers," said Tsz Ki Tang (Crystal), a student leader from Hong Kong who is interning at CMP. "It was very reassuring to have the officer give advice on how to stay safe and how to avoid scams."
The briefing lasted around an hour and then the students returned to their evening. With many plans for the rest of the summer and a lot of opportunities to travel around the city, the students were clearly happy to have good advice for staying safe.
"I wouldn't want to miss out on enjoying the city just because I was worried about something bad happening," Crystal added. "There's just too much exciting stuff here."
