City Headlines

Bringing Awareness to Child Abuse, Sexual Assault, and Crime Victim Rights

April is recognized as Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month and Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Month, and April 24-30 is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. A proclamation for these designations will be given at the April 5 Schertz City Council Meeting. Follow the City on Social Media for updates on the upcoming proclamations. We encourage you to join us and participate in the many efforts of awareness throughout the month.

To help bring awareness and prevent child abuse, the Schertz Police Department partnered with the Guadalupe County Children’s Advocacy Center (GCCAC) for their annual countywide pinwheel displays recognizing the 893 children served at the GCCAC in 2021 as well as their new fundraising campaign, Champions for Courageous Children. You can join them too by texting GCCAC to 44-321 for more information or go to ‘Events’ at gccac.net. The Schertz Police Department also partnered with ChildSafe for their annual Cardboard Kids campaign. Starting April 4, you will begin to see cardboard kids throughout the city, each one representing one of the thousands of children who suffer abuse and neglect at the hands of adults in Bexar County every year.

Friday, April 1 is the official Go Blue Day for Texas. Thousands of Texans will wear blue, the official color of prevention, to show their support for ending child abuse. To raise awareness of rape and sexual assault, Wednesday, April 27 is Denim Day, where millions of people across the world will wear jeans with a purpose, support survivors, and educate themselves and others about all forms of sexual violence. We encourage you to wear your blue on April 1 and your denim on April 27, and ask that you encourage your friends, family, and colleagues to do the same!

For more information on Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month go to childwelfare.gov, for more information on Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Month go to nsvrc.org, and for more information on National Crime Victims’ Rights Week go to ovc.ncjrs.gov.