On Sept. 29, the Rockland Police Department issued the following to the public concerning the ongoing troubling incidents of men in white vans attempting to pick up people walking. This time, it occurred in Rockland; the previous two incidents were in Owls Head and Thomaston. Also, RSU 13 Superintendent issued a separate warning to the public, which follows the police release:

“During the afternoon on 09/28/17 a female juvenile who was walking home from the University of Maine campus in Rockland was approached by a male subject in a white van who offered the the girl a ride home. The girl refused the ride and continued walking home. The van was seen in the area by the girl after the initial encounter. Sometime after arriving at her residence the girl reported the incident to the Rockland Police Department via the department Facebook page.

“Officers and detectives worked into the night following up on information provided by the girl. The investigation is ongoing at this time and the department urges anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem to contact the police department. The department also encourages students to walk in groups, in well lit, high visibility areas whenever possible. If any student is approached by anyone in the manner described above, regardless of what type of vehicle a person is driving, to run away and contact police as soon as possible.

“The Rockland Police Department will continue to work with its law enforcement partners and aggressively follow up on any and all leads until this incident is brought to a successful conclusion. The department will also continue to collaborate with RSU 13 administration and staff to provide any assistance they require to ensure the safety of students. Proactive saturation patrols around RSU 13 schools during time frames that have been identified as concerning will continue until this situation is resolved.

“Also please keep in mind that the department is not able to monitor its facebook page constantly and the quickest way for police response is to call 911.”

Dear Parents and Community Members:

Recently, we have learned of incidents in Owls Head and in Thomaston where the occupants of a white van stopped and offered rides to students. On Thursday afternoon, September 28, another incident of this nature occurred when the driver of a white van approached one of our female high school students as she was walking home from the Rockland Campus of the University of Maine. The young lady refused the ride and left the area. This was reported to the Rockland Police Department. This morning I met with Deputy Chief Chris Young and we are reaching out to our school staff, students and school community with this information and are increasing both the police presence and staff monitoring around our schools. This is an opportunity to speak with your children about safety. I urge you to have children walk in groups, never to accept a ride from any stranger and to report any suspicious encounters immediately. Dial 911 if you have a phone, if not, report to an adult as soon as possible. Our staff will continue to communicate this same message to all of our students. We will stand together as a community to ensure that our children are safe. As always, safety for your children at school is our top priority, and I want to assure the public that we are working with our very professional and supportive police departments to educate our students about safety and to increase vigilance and awareness at all of our school locations.

John C. McDonald, Superintendent RSU 13

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