By Charles Lefebvre

Police reminding parents to educate their children about strangers

May 24, 2019 | 4:35 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — The Medicine Hat Police Service is reminding parents and children to be aware after receiving a report of a suspicious vehicle in the city.

Police received a report Thursday evening about a vehicle that stopped in front of a group of kids in the area of Sixth Avenue Southwest and offered them some ice cream.

An adult who was watching the children saw this happen and yelled to the children to get away from the vehicle. The driver left the scene.

“In this instance, we had a parent that was watching over them, and was able to deal with this swiftly,” said Sgt. Mike Fischer.

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Police are continuing to investigate the incident, but have not made any arrests or found the driver.

Sgt. Mike Fischer says the incident serves as a reminder for parents and children about what they need to do to stay safe from strangers.

“We just want to remind kids and parents to be together, for parents to be able to see where their kids are,” he said. “It’s nice to have them be out, but know where they are, and be able to see where they are.”

Fischer reminds children to never approach strangers or their vehicles.

“We here all the time how some of these strangers can be very persuasive,” he said. “What are some of the things kids like? Puppies, ice cream, candy, things like that. Those are some of the tactics they’ve been known to use to get people to come to their car.”

Children should know their surroundings, be prepared to find a safe place and tell an adult, says Fischer.

Fischer adds parents need to take the time to educate their children about the dangers strangers can present.

“We count on the parents to make sure they’re educating their children, and our communities to keep an eye out as well,” he said. “And if you see something that looks out of place, give us a call. Again, we’re committed to making sure our neighbourhoods are safe for our kids.”