River Vale Police Department
Helping Hands Program
The River Vale PTA in conjunction with the River Vale Police Department sponsors a "Helping Hands" program to make our community safer. The purpose is to give our children a safe place to go to in the event of an accident, illness, or other forms of distress; while walking to or from school. After consenting to a background check of all adult household members, volunteers offer their homes to children in need until help arrives. The background check consists of fingerprinting and a local records check.
To recognize a house that is a part of the Helping Hands program, a sign consisting of a hand on a bright orange background (similar to the hands above), is placed in a prominent window on the ground floor facing the street. We encourage parents to walk through their neighborhoods with their children, to identify homes displaying the Helping Hands sign. In the case of a problem or emergency, you're children will know where to go to for help.
The Helping Hands program is to be used only when a child needs an adult's help. They will be asked their name, phone number and reason for their concern, then the block parent will take their instructed action.
The Helping Hands program should NOT be used to get a drink of water, make a phone call, or to use the bathroom. The block parent should only be called upon for important situations and not silly requests.
We need everyone's help and cooperation with this program in order to make our town a safer place in which to live. If you are interested and would like to participate in the program, please contact the police department at 201-664-1111 to make an appointment to be fingerprinted