Troy Police Warn of Stranger Danger Near Bus Stop
(Troy Police Department, Feb. 28, 2014)
The Troy Police Department has sent the following message to parents and to media:
Dear Parents,
I wanted to alert you to a suspicious vehicle report that has come to my attention in the area of Square Lake and John R. A Troy School District parent reported to police that she had seen an older white full-sized station wagon (possibly a Ford) with body damage to the driver’s side front quarter sitting on Slate Street for several days in the early morning hours. A black male in his 20’s was sitting in the driver’s seat and wearing sunglasses, even though it was dark out. She reported the vehicle to police, but the man drove off before an officer could arrive.
This morning, the woman’s daughter, a 12-year-old Larson student, was walking to the bus stop when she noticed the same vehicle and driver in the same area. He reportedly pulled up to the girl and called out, “What are you doing? Come here.” The student did exactly the right thing—she ran to a neighbor’s porch for help. The man again drove off.
The Troy Police are investigating these incidents. As always, this is a good reminder for all of us to talk to our children about what to do if they see a suspicious vehicle or are approached by strangers. We have included a list of “Safety with Strangers” procedures from the Troy Police Department at the bottom of this note to help guide any discussions. If you have any information regarding this issue, please call the Troy Police Department at (248) 524-3451 (day) or after hours (248) 524-3477.
Safety with Strangers:
The items listed below are some suggested procedures to be used as guidelines for discussion with your children regarding “Safety with Strangers.” Troy School District staff members in cooperation with the Troy Police Department have prepared these guidelines.
1. Do not accept candy or gifts from strangers.
2. Do not accept rides with strangers or people you do not know very well.
3. Do not walk or play alone. Walk with a friend or in a group.
4. Go directly home after school.
5. Never go anywhere without telling your parents first.
6. Be cautious when approached by strangers. If a stranger stops to ask a question, you should WALK AWAY. NEVER go over to a stranger or their car, for ANY reason.
7. Tell your parents or teacher immediately about a suspicious person
8. Seek assistance if a stranger forces attention upon you. If someone is following you, run to a house where you think someone is at home and pound on the door and yell. You can also run inside a building such as a store, where there are people. Ask someone to call the police immediately. Do not run into a woods, park or shrub area.
9. If possible, get the license number of any car that is following you and tell the police immediately. They may be able to catch the car before it leaves the neighborhood. But never wait around to get the number of description of the car. RUN FIRST.
10. If you call the police, it would help them to know the following information:
a) The address where you are.
b) The license number and description or the car.
c) The description of the person.
Again, don’t wait around to get this information. Run first. When in Troy, you can reach help of any kind by calling: 524-3477 or 911 if it is an emergency.
Parents are requested to follow the Call-In Procedure for student absence established in each school. We also urge parents to have their children follow a designated route to and from school.
Troy Police Department