An investigation by Bethlehem police has found a man did not follow two middle school students as they walked home, and the reported incident was a misunderstanding.
On Tuesday, Nov. 12, two girls believed they were followed by a “white-haired” man while walking home from Bethlehem Middle School. A parent then reported the incident to Bethlehem police and an e-mail was sent home to parents throughout the district the following day.
Detective Sergeant Adam Hornick of the Bethlehem Police Department said the incident was investigated and the matter was a misunderstanding.
“We had already identified the person and interviewed them that same day,” said Hornick. “Some of the information released by the school district wasn’t 100 percent correct, and we learned that during the interview.”
According to the district, the students were walking south on Delaware Avenue from Kenwood Avenue when they noticed the man who they believed was following them.
Hornick said the man was not following the girls, but on a walk near his home. The person’s home is in proximity to the school, and the man follows a similar route while walking everyday. The girls saw the man several times while they were walking home and believed they were being followed.
“Everyone should be vigilant in reporting these events to the police,” said Hornick. “It’s great that (the girls) reported it. We would rather they report it and then have us find out if it was a criminal action or not, to be safe.”
The man’s name was not released for privacy reasons and because no crime took place.
A new e-mail has been sent out to parents explaining that no criminal actions took place and the students were not in danger.
“I commend these students for using good judgment in alerting an adult to what they believed to be unusual circumstances,” said Superintendent Thomas Douglas in the e-mail. “It serves as an important reminder to parents that they should review, on a regular basis, common sense rules for staying safe.”
The police department and district officials are urging parents to review safety tips with their children and the importance of staying cautious around strangers.
Safety tips released by the Bethlehem School District include:
Safety tips include:
- Never walk alone. Walk with an adult family member, an older student or with a group of students.
- Know where your children are at all times. Make it a rule that your children must ask permission or check in with you before going anywhere. Give your children your work and cell phone numbers so they can reach you at all times.
- Point out safe places. Show your children safe places to play, safe roads and paths to take, and safe places to go if there’s trouble.
- Teach children to trust their instincts. Explain that if they ever feel scared or uncomfortable, they should get away as fast as they can and tell an adult. Tell them that sometimes adults they know may make them feel uncomfortable, and they should still get away as fast as possible and tell another adult what happened. Reassure children that you will help them when they need it.
- Teach your children to be assertive. Make sure they know that it’s okay to say no to an adult and to run away from adults in dangerous situations.