December 19, 2011
The Ithaca Police Department has told Ithaca City School District officials that one of two seeming child abduction attempts last week was not an attempted crime at all. Dr. Lesli C. Myers, ICSD Assistant Superindendent of Student Services, says the incident on Cleveland Avenue in which a driver stopped and offered a child a ride had in fact involved an acquaintance of the child's family, and "no crime or attempted crime took place."
Dr. Lesli C. Myers. Photo courtesy of ICSD.Dr. Myers says the school district is still working with IPD investigators on the other case, in which a "dark-skinned African-American female" pedestrian approached a child in the area of Madison and First Streets. That incident is still presumed to have been an attempt to abduct the eight-year-old boy who was approached. IPD asks that anyone with information contact them at 607-272-3245 or 607-272-9973, and urges the public to contact police immediately regarding any suspicious activity.
The school district is working with the Ithaca Police Department to organize a community forum, scheduled for 6:30pm on January 5th. A location is still to be announced. Dr. Myers says she communicated about the incidents on Friday afternoon with members of the Ithaca PTSA via mailing list, and all ICSD school principals were asked to discuss the incidents with the children in their schools.
Dr. Myers adds that the school district must "capitalize on these teachable moments" by helping parents learn effective ways to teach their kids about safety in age-appropriate ways that won't scare the kids. She points to resources at Kidpower, which makes a point of stressing that the term "stranger danger" itself can be unnecessarily alarming, adding that "Most people are good. This means that most strangers are good." Kidpower offers a number of tips for "teaching kids to be safe without making them scared."
