Windsor police warn people after 'concerning interaction' involving child at local park
The Windsor Police Service is asking the community to be cautious after a "concerning interaction" involving a child and a man.
In a series of tweets, police said a 10-year-old girl was at Forest Glade Optimist Park on Monday night when an adult male approached her.
"When the girl ran to teenagers who were playing basketball nearby, the man returned to his car and left the scene," police said in a tweet.
The Major Crimes Unit launched an investigation and identified the man. Police said although there was not enough evidence to charge him, he was banned from entering the park and issued a trespassing notice.
Police later clarified that the trespassing notice only applies to Forest Glade Public Library, which is in the park.
How to prevent abductions
In the series of tweets, police commended the girl for reporting the incident and asked parents to "be vigilant and to speak to their children about the dangers of interacting with strangers."
According to Kids Health, a resource Windsor police linked to on Twitter, most children reported missing either ran away or had a misunderstanding about where they were supposed to be.
However, of the kids who are abducted, 25 per cent are taken by strangers. Two-thirds of kids taken by strangers are girls and and almost all are taken by men.
"Many cases can be solved more easily when parents can provide key information about their kids, like: height, weight, eye colour, and a clear recent photo," read the Kids Health website.
According to the website, parents should also ensure their custody documents and medical records are in order, talk with kids about online safety and strangers, make sure kids know their name, address and phone numbers, including 911 or local emergency numbers, and more.
