Nikki Boyer describes herself as overly protective — but she doesn’t apologize for making her family’s safety a primary concern.

Boyer said her daughters, Madyson, 9, and Rylee, 8, know that mom is vigilant.

“If I’m not going to be right there, they have to stay on the driveway,” she said. “I watch them very carefully.”

While stranger danger is real, family safety should include everyday steps that sometimes get lost in the day-to-day responsibilities of parenting.

Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said parents can make themselves and their children potential targets for criminals by becoming preoccupied with the many tasks they have at hand.

“When you put your children in the car and you open the back door, it leaves you vulnerable,” Lott said. “As much as we need to focus on our children, don’t have tunnel vision.”

Diane Paavel, a crime prevention officer with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, agreed.

“If you have to, get in the car with them to put them in the car seat,” she said. “At least you are in and the door is locked.”

Lott said parents should remain aware of their surroundings, even in the midst of loading groceries, buckling car seats or dropping children off at schools or day care centers.

“Parents tend to leave the car running or leave valuables on the seat with the car unlocked,” he said. “We had a group going around to church kindergartens and while (parents) were inside dropping off, they would come and take the opportunity. I’ve got a 7 year old and I used to see parents leave the car running and the door open and the pocketbook right there on the seat.”

When loading groceries, parents may be tempted to buckle children in their car seats, place the groceries in the car and then take the cart to the store or the cart return area. Lott said children should always come with parents to make that return.

“I know it’s inconvenient, but leave the child in the buggy,” Lott said. “You can’t leave them abandoned, even for second.”

“It only takes a few minutes,” Paavel said. “Keep them on your hip.”

“We encourage parents to be focused on the children but never let your guard down,” Lott said. “When you let your guard down, the bad guys strike.”

And though no one wants to live in fear, having a plan of action can help parents overcome the emotion that can occur in the event of an emergency.

“If you’re walking to the car, do you have a plan in mind for your child if someone comes after you?” Paavel asked. “They can have anything they want, but not my child.”

Paavel made a plan with her own son that included teaching him to obey immediately if she told him to get behind her, then run back in the store and ask for help. She said parents of infants and toddlers should also consider their options in the event they are ever approached in a threatening manner while out and about. She said one possibility for a parent carrying an infant carrier is to put the seat — with the baby inside — on top of a nearby car and move away from the baby.

“Make a plan for what to do,” she said.

Parents should remain aware even at home, Lott said. When starting a car to cool it off or warm it up, he said parents must consider safety.

“Have an extra set of keys so you can lock the car before you go in the house,” he said.

Lott said neighbors should stay in contact and let each other know about strangers or strange cars in the neighborhood. Parents should watch children when they play outside.

“It only takes an instant and they are gone,” Lott said. “You have to keep your eyes on them. It’s good for neighbors to look out for each other. Everybody needs to be watching for everybody’s kids.”

To avoid inviting danger, Paavel said parents should not put identifying information on their vehicles. Stick-figure decals, with or without names, reveal information, as do school magnets, stickers and more.

“They have the name, a cheerleader sign, the school name,” Paavel said. “So now we know Stephanie is a cheerleader at White Knoll High School.”

Paavel said predators can seize that information and potentially use it to contact children directly or follow drivers home. She notes the example of a vehicle with decals showing a mother and two girls.

“What does that tell you? It’s a single mom with two daughters,” she said.

Even seemingly innocuous decorations, such as a pink monogrammed decal or license plate, reveal information to those looking for a target.

“It tells the bad guy it’s a female,” Paavel said.

Parents should also be aware for the potential for cyber-crime. Lott said children as young as age 10 are setting up Facebook accounts, making themselves vulnerable to predators. He said computer use should be a family affair.

“Don’t give your child a computer to give you free time,” Lott said. “You’ve got to monitor what your child is doing. The child molester now is using the Internet or Facebook to entice kids to do things. The computer is a great learning tool but you have to monitor it. Parents need to keep up with technology.”

What was once overprotection is now just good common sense.

“You are a parent 24-7, 365,” Lott said. “Know what they’re doing all the time.”