District News

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (GRPS) -- An incident took place after school on Thursday, Oct. 24, that is currently under investigation by the Grand Rapids Police Department.

Following dismissal, a scholar at Zoo School reported that, while walking home, they were approached by an individual in a green Ford pick-up truck. The scholar was able to reach a safe location and quickly contact their family. The intentions of the driver are still being investigated by police.

If you have any additional information about this case, please contact the Grand Rapids Police Department at (616) 456-3400. GRPS will provide updates from police if more information becomes available.

The GRPS Public Safety & School Security team would like to use this incident as a reminder to all families about child pedestrian safety, especially as we enter the Halloween season. Here are some Halloween safety reminders from the American Academy of Pediatrics:

• Always accompany young children on their neighborhood rounds. Research shows that evenings from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. are the riskiest times of day for child pedestrians. 
• If your older children are trick-or-treating alone, plan and review the route that is acceptable to you. Agree on a specific time when they should return home and get flashlights with batteries for everyone. 
• Talk with kids about the risk of distracted walking. This includes text messaging, talking on or looking at their phone and listening to music. 
• Cross the street as a group in established crosswalks. Most child pedestrian traffic fatalities occurred mid-block, rather than at intersections. Make sure kids know not to cross the street between parked cars or out of driveways or alleys. 
• Stay on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk. If no sidewalk is available, walk at the far edge of the roadway facing traffic. Only go to homes with a porch light on and, ideally, a well-lit pathway.