Troubling Attacks on SPS Teens Continue
The attacks on SPS teens are continuing and now have spread out to the Laurelhurst/Ravenna/Wedgwood area. This note was send from the principal of Eckstein Middle School, Kristin Rose:
I want to follow up with you about the recent emails from both SPS and Eckstein about safety concerns in the community. I received two separate reports of incidents that occurred yesterday afternoon after school hours.
One of our parents was walking to the Wedgwood Post Office when a car of teens pulled up next to him, aggressively, in a vehicle. The parent was wearing a hat and backpack, so the thought is that the teens assumed he was a student. The parent jumped into quick action with his body posture and made noise. The car quickly drove off, most likely realizing it was an adult.
The second incident was near Laurelhurst Park after a student got off of the city bus and was walking home. What sounds like the same car pulled up next to the student and told him to get in the vehicle, then chased after him. The student ran and luckily a neighbor was close by to intervene and help the student get to safety. The car drove off again. Fortunately, the parent and student are both okay.
Police did indicate that several incidents like this were reported last night in our region. I am sending this notification to keep us on heightened alert and so that you can have conversations with your student(s) about their after-school plans.
Walking in a group is suggested, as is keeping cell phones out of sight so that students can stay alert to their surroundings. Please review my email from several weeks back with additional safety strategies.
I am sorry to bring you this news this afternoon, but do want to keep our community informed of safety concerns as I receive them, to keep our kids safe.
What to do? The District has many suggestions and I would say downloading their mobile app might be the best one to let the District know ASAP about any incident.
- Mobile App for anonymous safety reporting app for our community. To download the app, open your phone’s app store and search “Seattle Public Schools.” You may also use the universal link to download the app.
- In an emergency, call 911
- Contact the Safety and Security Department which is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. For urgent issues, contact Safety and Security by telephone 206-252-0510.
- Report incidents as soon as they happen.
- Be aware of your surroundings.
- Don't talk to strangers or go anywhere with them.
- Walking to school or activities in pairs or groups.
- Stay alert to your surroundings. Encourage your student to plan their route, travel together on well-traveled roads and avoid low-traffic side streets when possible.
- Encourage your student to put away their cell phones while walking. Electronics should be out of sight, and jewelry worn discreetly.
Develop a plan before trouble occurs.
-Crossing a street or entering a store may get you out of a potentially bad situation.
- If a car follows you or beckons to you while you are walking, do not approach but turn around and quickly walk in the opposite direction.
The police department has responded and deployed detectives to handle investigations.
If I had to add one thing, I would say that SPS should ask the City to have patrol officers drive streets in front of/around middle and high schools when the school day ends. This might make those guys who are trying to attack teens feel less emboldened.
It has been reported that in at least one incident, a student was forced into a car and there may have been a gun in the car. My fear is that somebody is going to get seriously hurt and that would be terrible..
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