Superintendent Champ comments on safety after three reports of children approached by suspicious vehicles

Superintendent Champ comments on safety after three reports of children approached by suspicious vehicles

Editor’s note: This letter was provided by the Pelham School District.

Dear Pelham Parents,

Over the past several weeks, the Village of Pelham Police Department has received three reports of students being approached by suspicious vehicles while walking in Pelham. Thankfully, there were no active attempts to harm students. The police have investigated each of these incidents, and concluded they were all independent incidents with no correlation to one another.

We continue to work collaboratively with both local police departments to assure a proactive approach to student safety and to respond to any specific events that might cause concern for our community. Both police departments will continue to increase their presence at each of our schools, including making daily visits to our campuses. This collaborative effort will provide positive opportunities for our students and staff to build relationships with our local officers and for the departments to increase their familiarity with our school facilities.

Each year, our students are reminded about personal safety through our counseling curriculum and special presentations at key points during the year, such as Halloween. These recent reports serve as a reminder that we must all reinforce that message of personal safety to our students. We encourage parents to continue to speak with your children about this. Below, please find some resources that may be helpful in your discussions with your children:

Talking About Stranger Safety – Scholastic Parents

New York State Police – Step Away for Safety

As Pelham Together recently communicated, parents should be sure to program the phone numbers of our local police into their children’s cell phones, if they have them. The Village of Pelham Police phone number is 914-738-2000 and the Pelham Manor Police phone number is 914-738-1000. This is the most direct and immediate method for receiving emergency assistance when calling from a cell phone.

We encourage you to contact the police directly if you have any specific questions or concerns. We look forward to working together to continue to ensure a safe environment for our students.

Sincerely,

Cheryl Champ, Ed. D.

Superintendent of Schools