The Shoreham-Wading River School District issued a safety message to parents Saturday after they learned of an incident Friday afternoon where two men in an unidentified silver sedan were parked near a bus stop on Hidden Pond Path and started taking cell phone pictures of students after they were dropped off from school.
According to a Facebook post circulating among parents this weekend recounting the incident, two men — one wearing eye glasses — approached three middle school students getting off a school bus and “said a few word[s] to them, took pictures/video of them and then sped off very quickly.” The three students were reportedly “very shaken and upset.”
The post says 45 minutes later, the same two men were seen sitting in their car two blocks away from the first incident, also near a bus stop. Upon seeing the men, the bus driver asked the student who was getting off at that stop if she knew them, and when the student said ‘no, “the bus driver told her to run across her lawn and straight into her house and she would wait to watch her get into her house.”
Riverhead Police Department has been notified of both incidents by school officials, parents and the bus company.
A police spokesperson said that the police was aware and would take extra precautions Monday. Extra patrol cars have been assigned to the area throughout the day as well as when students are released from school.
Anyone who may have information about this incident is requested to contact the Riverhead Police Department at (631) 727-4500.
“As a school district we take matters of student safety and security very seriously and remain steadfast in our efforts to safeguard all,” school officials said in a statement. “This latest incident serves as an important reminder that if you see something, say something.”
School officials also urged parents to “take this opportunity to have conversations with your child/children about remaining aware of their surroundings when traveling to and from school, as well as discuss the appropriate steps to take in an emergency.”
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