Student Safety - Talking to Your Child About Strangers

We want to inform you about two separate safety and security incidents that occurred on Wednesday, Feb. 27 in the afternoon.

In the first, a Rummel Creek Elementary student who was walking home from school at about 4:30 pm near or at the corner of Brittmoore and Kimberley was approached by a man described as having darker skin and driving a blue-green, older pickup truck. When he asked if she wanted a ride, the student ran back to the school, where she was assisted. The incident was reported to the Houston Police Department and the Spring Branch ISD Police.

Both are investigating. In the second incident, a Memorial Middle School student was getting off the school bus at Broken Bough and Faust, in the Town and Country area, when she was approached by two Hispanic males in a white pickup truck who asked if she wanted a ride home. She fled on foot to her nearby home.

A separate Houston Police Department report was filed, and both HPD and Spring Branch ISD Police are investigating. In light of these situations, we hope you will take time to talk with your child about being safe and what to do if approached by a stranger. 

Here are some conversation topics:

• Who is a stranger?
• What should your child should do if a stranger approaches? The National Crime Prevention Association (NCPA) recommends, “No, Go, Yell, Tell.” If in a dangerous situation, kids should say no, run away, yell as loud as they can, and tell a trusted adult what happened right away.
• Let your children know it is okay to say, “No,” to an adult in a dangerous situation and to yell to keep themselves safe, even if they are indoors.
• Point out safe places in your home and your neighborhood.

For more information, visit the NCPA website.

As always, we place the highest priority on the safety and security of our students and staff. Should you have information about these or other safety matters, please call the SBISD Police Department at 713.984.9805.