During the week of March 10, 2014, four luring attempts were reported to Bergen County Law Enforcement. Two of these incidents occurred in Leonia, one in Ridgefield Park and one in Norwood. Three more incidents were reported this week.

Incident #1

Ridgefield Park Police released a sketch Wednesday of a man who reportedly approached a 10-year-old bicyclist. The incident occurred at 3:42 pm on Monday, March 10, 2014, near Preston Street and Pershing Court in Ridgefield Park. The 10-year-old in Ridgefield Park told police that two men in a metallic blue SUV with silver chrome rims and bearing a yellow New Jersey license plate, called out for the youngster to approach the vehicle. The vehicle left the area after the men called out to the child. The driver was described as a black male with dark skin and curly hair who was wearing a striped black and blue hooded sweatshirt. The driver reportedly spoke with a southern accent. The passenger was described as a black male in his 20s who was wearing a baseball cap.

Incident #2

Norwood Police are investigating a possible luring incident behind Norwood Public School at 3:15 pm on Tuesday, March 11, 2014. Norwood police said a white male, described as being about 40 years old and driving a four-door silver Jeep Wrangler, beckoned to two students at the public school on Tuesday March 11, 2014. The children ran back to the school while the Jeep was driven north on Tappan Road. The man was described as wearing glasses and having a scruffy beard. The Jeep has a tire cover over the rear spare labeled “JEEP.”

Incident #3

Leonia Police are investigating a luring attempt that occurred on Wednesday, March 12, 2014, in which a white man in his 50s with white hair and facial hair asked for directions and then yelled sexual remarks at a pair of girls. The vehicle was described as a light blue sport utility vehicle.

Incident #4

On Friday, March 14, 2014, in Leonia, a 13-year-old girl reported to police that a man driving a gold Honda sedan tried to lure her into his car. The girl said the man drove up next to her along Linden Terrace near Fort Lee Road at 8:10 am, the driver, a man in his 50s, medium build with gray hair and a gray mustache, rolled down his window and asked her to show him where the post office is. The girl refused and ran away down Fort Lee Road toward Glenwood Avenue. The man drove in the opposite direction toward Fort Lee Road. The youngster told police that she saw a girl between 10- and 12-years-old wearing a pink coat and a pink and brown hat seated in the back seat of the man’s car. She said the girl appeared to be upset.

These are ongoing investigations and any person with information should contact the Teaneck Police Department at 201-837-2600.

Parents are also urged to speak to their children about their safety whether they are in a vehicle or on foot.

Teach your child, when s/he is outside, to always walk with at least one other person. Groups of more than two are better.

When your child is outside the house, do not allow him or her to wear clothing or a backpack or other articles with his/her name visible on it. Children are more likely to trust someone who calls them by name.

Teach your child to stay more than an adult arm’s length away from any car that is occupied by a person trying to talk to him/her, so that they cannot be reached by the person inside the car.

Teach your child if someone encourages him or her to get into a car, to help find a lost pet, or to leave with them for any reason, s/he should yell NO as loudly as possible and run to the closest adult whom they know and trust. Yelling NO, also called the POWER NO, indicates your child has been prepared for the situation.

Teach your child to run in the opposite direction from the one the car is facing. It is harder to drive in reverse than straight ahead.

Teach your child his/her full name, address and if, there is one, the “best†DON’T KNOW WHAT THIS IS phone number (including area code) to call in case of an emergency. If you make it into a song, younger children may be more likely to remember it. If no phone number is reliable, teach your child to call 911 for help.

Teach your older child to pay attention to the color and make of the vehicle and/or its license information (state and number), the physical characteristics of the person(s), and where s/he was when approached. Suggest that this information be written down as soon as it can be done safely.

Remind your child to call 911 to report any attempted luring.

Make a daily note of the clothing your child is wearing, just in case you need to provide that information later. Also keep a current school picture, or other recent photograph of your child, available.

For full details, view this message on the web https://local.nixle.com/alert/5163913/?sub_id=1552966 .