By Ryan Mancini
masslive.com
WORCESTER, Mass. — Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. has provided police and fire departments across the county with a new tool when responding to incidents with children.
“Through the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children ‘s Help Hope support program, we’re going to distribute 1,500 crisis bags to our law enforcement partners throughout Worcester County,” Early said at a press conference on Monday. “Each of these bags are full of carefully chosen items that provide comfort, distraction and reassurance to children during some of the most traumatic moments of their lives.”
Outside the Worcester Police Department, Early announced that he was giving 400 of these bags to Worcester police and firefighters to have at the ready to help children who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event.
“Trauma isn’t just a personal hardship,” Early said. “It’s a public health and safety issue that affects all of us. Children who experience trauma are 50% more likely to be involved in the criminal justice system. Children who experience trauma are 50% more likely to have a substance abuse disorder.”
“So if we want to stop the cycles of crime and addiction, what the experts tell us is we must start by recognizing and responding to trauma when we can,” Early added.
Crisis bags come in bright colors and contain several toys and other items to help children in the wake of a traumatic incident. Items include stuffed Teddy bears, finger pockets, push pop bubble fidget toys, putty, stress balls and crayons. These are intended to distract a child and to lessen the trauma of an event that a child witnessed, Early said.
With these bags, Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier said the toys can help children calm down and “offer them a little comfort.”
Firefighters are usually first at the scene, Worcester Fire Chief Martin Dyer said, “and the children are most vulnerable.”
“District Attorney Early has given us another tool in our toolbox to start the repair job right away,” he added.
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