A TEENAGE girl has been approached this time in Barrack Heights in the latest in string of incidents in the past few months.
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Lake Illawarra police are investigating and appealing for information after a 16-year-old girl was approached in Barrack Heights on Friday, June 26.
The young girl was walking along Shellharbour Road around 7.50am when a black panel van with no windows, stopped nearby and the male driver yelled "get in".
Lake Illawarra Area Command Crime Prevention officer Mark Scott said this had been about the tenth child approach reported in the Illawarra over the past two to three months.
"The black van seems to be the common denominator in a number of reports but not all. A few weeks ago the van was reported to be white," Mr Scott said.
"It always seems to be a male offender.
"A lot of the descriptions are very vague or minimal because we are trying to get information from kids who are scared at the time."
In the most recent incident at Barrack Heights a white sedan stopped and told the driver of the black panel van to leave the young girl alone- police are appealing to speak to the driver of the white sedan.
The 16-year-old girl reported the incident to her teacher later in the day and police were alerted.
The offender is described as being of Caucasian appearance, aged between 40 and 50, with an average build and wearing a black beanie.
The van is described as being black panel van with no windows (except for the windscreen) with black and white registration plates.
Officers are seeking witnesses or anyone with information to come forward, and would like to speak with a man they believe can assist with inquiries.
Police can be contacted on 42325599 or call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or the Police Assistance Line (PAL) on 131444.
In the meantime Police are encouraging parents to discuss the ‘Safe People, Safe Places’ messages with their children, including;
- Make sure your parents or another adult you know knows where you are at all times.
- Always walk straight home or to the place you are walking to. Walk near busier roads and streets, or use paths where there are lots of other people.
- Know where safe places are – a shop, service station, police station, library or school. If you are ever frightened, you should go to one of these places and ask them to call the police.
- Learn about safe adults you can look for and talk to if you need help – police officers, teachers at school, adults you know and trust.
- Don’t talk to people you don’t know and never get into a car with someone you don’t know. If a car stops on the side of the road and you don’t know the person inside, do not stop.
- If you are scared and can use a phone, call 000 and tell them you are scared.
- If someone tries to grab you, yell out, ‘Go away, I don’t know you’. This lets other people know you have been approached by someone you don’t know.
