All Around Pennsauken

Information Provided By The Pennsauken Township Police Department

The Pennsauken Township Police Department has been notified of a number of luring attempts within the past month. Each incident was investigated to the fullest extent. At this time none of the reported incidents were able to be substantiated. Extra patrols have been added to the areas. The safety of our residents is of the utmost importance.

Parents and guardians are asked to read the provided information and to review these following safety tips with your children.

When Do Luring Attempts Occur?

Based on data from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, many luring attempts involve a suspect driving a vehicle; occur when a child is traveling to or from school; happen between 2:00 and 7:00 p.m.; and involve children between the ages of 10 to 14.

How Are Children Often Abducted?

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children highlights five common methods of abduction:

• Offering a ride
• Offering candy or sweets
• Asking children questions
• Offering money
• Claiming to look for a lost pet or showing an animal

How Can I Take Action?

There are several ways for parents and guardians to help children avoid luring and abduction attempts.

Know the routes your children take to and from school. You can practice walking the route with them and point out areas to avoid and places they can go for help, such as a store or a neighbor’s house.

Contact your child’s school about its pickup policy. Be clear that no one should pick up your child without your specific permission. Also, ask to be contacted immediately if someone else tries to pick up your child.

Role-play with your children, using scenarios where they can learn how to identify and respond to risky situations.

Talk to your children about the methods would-be abductors use. Have them respond to these tricks by saying “no,” leaving the area as quickly and safely as possible, and telling a trusted adult immediately.

Make sure your children know their full name, home address, telephone numbers where they can contact you, and how to dial 9-1-1 responsibly.

Keep an identification kit for each of your children. This should include a recent color photo of your child, as well as descriptive details, including their age, height, weight, etc.

Community Involvement Is Key

Residents are asked to keep an eye out for any suspicious behavior. If something seems unusual, such as an individual you’ve never seen before frequenting areas surrounding schools, playgrounds, etc. who seems out of place, don’t hesitate to contact police.

Also, Pennsauken Township has a Community Town Watch that meets every second Wednesday of the month at the Pennsauken Police Department, 4800 Bethel Ave., second floor. Meetings start at 7:30 p.m. For more information on the Town Watch, call (856) 488-0080 x2417.

A source used in the creation of this article was provided by KidSmartz.org, a program of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.