Police Report: Suspicious Vehicle Follows Ferndale Student

Police Report: Suspicious Vehicle Follows Ferndale Student
(Lt. William Wilson, Ferndale Police, Sept. 25, 2015)
On 09/24/15, Ferndale police investigated a report from a 13 year old girl walking home from school that she was followed by vehicle. The girl reported that she was in the area of Burdette and Mapledale when she noticed a gold colored SUV with heavily tinted windows. She could not see into the tinted windows to see any more than the driver was an unknown male wearing sunglasses. As the girl walked several blocks down different streets, the vehicle followed closely behind her at walking speed. The girl got scared and yelled for the vehicle to stop following her. The driver then sped up and drove away.
This incident occurred at approximately 3:00 p.m.
Residents should pay extra attention in the area and notify Ferndale Police (248-541-3650) if they see a similar vehicle, or know of one in the area.
Police have no further information at this time.
 
Ferndale Schools released a statement as well, which included the following tips for keeping safe:
Parents and guardians: Please remind your children of the need to be cautious and attentive, whether they are walking to and from school, or playing. If anyone observes a suspicious person or vehicle, call the police immediately (911). It is also important that discussions take place between parents and children about how to handle suspicious incidents. Please remind your child of the following safety measures they can take:
1.         If someone is following a child in a car or is walking very close, teach your child to stay away from them, and run to the nearest house (preferably where someone they know is home) to ask for help.
2.         Do not talk to strangers or go near their car – even if they seem nice and say they have candy or a toy in the car.
3.         If someone tries to get a child to go with them, a good defense is to yell “This is not my father/mother!” and run away.
4.         Do not help strangers find their dog or cat.
5.         If someone tells your child “Don’t tell,” assure the child she or he should definitely report the incident to a trusted adult.
NOTE:  Police Reports come directly from the Police Department or agency involved and are written by the person or agency listed below the title.  We generally run these “as is” or with minimal editing for punctuation, spelling, etc. Suspects should not be presumed guilty. Those needing more information about a case are encouraged to follow up with the reporting agency or court system for the most current information.
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