Spike in attempted abductions reports: Should you worry?
Within the last two weeks there have been multiple attempted abductions in the Capital Region, including two in Albany, two in Schenectady plus one false report, and two in Philmont.
George Stott has see all the stories break on CBS 6 news and the multiple attempts have him wondering "The streets aren't safe with my 15 year old daughter out here running around," says Stott.
Eddie Parker feels the same way "Watching the news, first they're picking up little girls and now they're picking up little boys." says Parker.
CBS 6 took those concerns to Albany Police Detective James Miller to get some reassurance for parents. Right away Miller tells us that they don't want to create this hysteria with the recent spike in these situations but police don't want parents to let their guard down either.
Miller assures CBS 6 that community service officers in schools are re-enforcing and re-educating on the dangers surrounding attempted abductions and urge parents to remind children of their surroundings.
Miller says each attempted abduction case is different and when it comes to determining which cases are real versus fake it depends on a variety of things. "It really depends on the situation. Depends on the person and how old they are, circumstances around it and if there are any other witnesses out there" says Miller.
The different Police agencies are in contact with each other as well when multiple occurances are happening at the same time in different cities.
Here's what we know as of October 8th on each Attempted Abduction.
ALBANY
Police are working on two cases that involved a 10 year old girl and a 16 year old girl. There are no witnesses and right now police have no leads on either.
SCHENECTADY
Sept 24th, Craig and Strong: Police still looking for a White Dodge Neon that they say circled this neighborhood before trying to lure a 12 year old girl in the car. They describe him as a dark skin male with short dark hair.
October 6th, Patrick Court: Police are looking for a balding white man in his late 30's early 40's driving a red car possibly a ford taurus. They say this man told an 11 year old boy to get in the car because he needed help looking for his dog.
PHILMONT
The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating this one. An 11-year-old girl told her father she was approached on Eagle Street in Philmont after 7 a.m. Wednesday by a man in white pickup, according to deputies. She said the man asked if she had missed the bus and offered to give her a ride to school. Deputies said she immediately ran home. The man is described as thin, about 30 years old, with short brown hair in a crew cut and a full brownish beard trimmed short. The girl also said he was wearing a silver loop in his left ear.
The truck sped off toward County Route 11, according to deputies.
Investigators say the same thing may have happened to a girl on another street in Philmont.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 828-3344.
If you would like to know more about what you can do, we posted a link to some BE SMART tips that will certainly help you and your children feel safer.
http://www.schenectady.k12.ny.us/News/2009-2010/Alert_092409.htm
