A couple years ago it was the white van, this time it is a tan sedan. The Rye PD sent a notice about an older man soliciting a 10 year old boy to give him a "ride home" on Midland Avenue. Nothing came of the incident, but Rye PD is reminding parents to speak with their kids on how to handle these encounters should they happen.
Here is the letter being shared with parents:
POLICE DEPARTMENT
City of Rye, New York
21 McCullough Place
Rye, N. Y. 10580
Phone: (914) 967-1234
FAX: (914) 967-8341
William R. Connors
Police Commissioner
September 16, 2010
Dr. Edward J. Shine
Superintendent of Schools
Rye City School District
411 Theodore Fremd Avenue
Rye, New York 10580
Dear Dr. Shine:
On the afternoon of Thursday, September 16, 2010, the Police Department was advised of a suspicious incident involving a ten year old child walking home from school. The boy reports that he left Midland School at approximately 3:30 P.M. and was walking south on Midland Avenue when a car exited the Rye Recreation parking lot, turned right, and followed him. The driver motioned to the boy several times to cross the street, and then offered to give him a ride home. The boy declined and continued on his way, and the car left. He and his nanny, who was following at a distance and did not closely witness the incident, called the police after they arrived home.
The vehicle is described as a tan sedan, either a Honda or a Toyota Prius, model year 2004 – 2005. The driver is described as a male, Hispanic, in his sixties, with a scruffy beard. There was no physical attempt to reach out, touch, or pursue the boy. No crime was committed, but our goal is to ensure that our residents are as fully informed as possible. Anyone who was in the vicinity of Midland School at the time of this incident and can provide any additional information is asked to call the City of Rye Police Department at (914) 967-1234.
There is no cause for alarm, but it is a good time to continue a routine, ongoing dialog with your children about basic safety precautions. We live in a remarkably safe community, but crimes against children can happen anywhere, and at any time; they are unpredictable. Teaching children how to protect themselves should not be crisis-driven; ideally, defensive behavior should be part of their routine.
Most importantly, if you observe suspicious activity, please call the police without delay. If a crime is taking place, our mission is to respond quickly enough to prevent it, or to apprehend a suspect and rescue a potential victim. If a crime has not taken place, it is equally important that we are notified quickly, so that we can determine that the incident is unfounded and prevent the spread of alarming but incorrect information. We rely on the information you provide, and welcome the opportunity to respond.
I would appreciate your disseminating this notice as appropriate through the School
District. Thank you.
Very truly yours,
William R. Connors
Police Commissioner
Correction!
First it was a green van, then a white van, and now a tan sedan!
For years and years the Otis Administration wasted 100’s of thousands of our HARD EARNED TAX DOLLARS, add this to the ailing economy and we are left in a very ugly situation!
WE ARE BROKE!
The RPD is dwindling down to dangerous membership levels, and one day someones child (GODFORBID)will fall victim to this!!!
If there is ever a time to have heavy police presence it is when school starts and ends!!!
Not saying this is a cure all to the sickos of our world but it sure as hell would make a great DETERRENT!!!!
jim, you are at it again. nobody cares what you thinks. thanks
Jim:
Regretfully no matter what the staffing levels of the RPD, they have never been a force or a presence in and around the four Rye school campuses.
Despite repeated requests from the Rye City School District the RPD refuses to place officers at critical school area intersections to direct and control concentrated school drop-off and pick-up traffic for two 15-20 minute segments (one AM and the other PM) on school days.
Interestingly a RPD officer directs traffic at Rye Country Day School on a paid basis paid by RCDS.
Also of interest the Mamaroneck Police Department sends an officer on school days to the intersection of Hornbake Road and Boston Post Road for traffic control and safety purposes at Rye Neck MS/HS arrival and dismissal times. The officer even parks the police car with its lights flashing in the middle of the BPR as a further safety precaution/ warning device.
If Mamaroneck PD can do it, why can’t the Rye PD?
Old Garnet,
I totally agree, I just think it is more difficult to manage with less membership and management that isn’t up to par as it is!
I am well aware of the RCDS security done by some of the members of the RPD on a paid permanent basis and the Mamaroneck PD detail for Rye Neck.
In the past the lack of CARING was always my gripe w/the RPD, I believe we have come along way since then and things are changing, slowly, but forward more now than ever.
We have to keep working hard at this, the harder we work and the more we stick together the harder it is to ignore important issues!!!
BTW – On Tuesday my daughter nearly was killed walking thru one of the RHS crosswalks on Parsons!
this is the letter released by the RMS with info from the RPD:
“Thanks to the Rye City Police Department for following up on the suspicious incident that was reported last week involving a Midland student who was walking home from school. If you recall from the press release that was distributed on Monday by the Rye Police Commissioner, the child was nervous about being followed by an adult near the Rye Recreation parking lot. We are happy to report that the adult in question was simply a concerned adult who was offering assistance to the child. We are glad that the student reported concern over an unknown adult and did not approach him. We are also very pleased that Rye is a community where the citizens are watching out for and helping all our young people”.
I have a question….where was the RPD during school dismissal on this day and time?
Its really like “Where’s Waldo”. If they are anywhwere near the schools they’re invisible.
What is really funny is that the RPD can’t be seen anywhere near the RHS/RMS complex during school hours – sticking strictly to their sectors. But oftentimes during the “overnight” there are one or two patrol cars idling in the parking lot facing Milton Road. So much for staffing the sectors – only when it is convenient or doesn’t involve any work.