Lodi police, school officials offer advice on child abductions

When a 7-year-old was walking home from Lois E. Borchardt Elementary School along Blue Jay Way on Jan. 18, a male adult in a dark red or burgundy sedan reached out and attempted to grab the child, according to a post on the Lodi Police Department’s Facebook page.

The child got away, and described the man as having a tattoo on his right arm. Lodi police do not usually receive many reports of attempted abductions, according to Lt. Sierra Brucia, who said that he could not remember the last time someone was arrested on suspicion of abducting or kidnapping a child in Lodi.

“We don’t have records of attempted abductions over the last few years. We have had similar reports that have been investigated, however they are usually classified as suspicious circumstances,” Brucia said.

Although abductions are rare in Lodi, Brucia advises parents to talk to their children about “stranger danger,” and have a plan in case someone a child doesn’t know grabs them or tries to get them into a vehicle. He recommends teaching children old enough to have cellphones to walk with groups of friends, check in when they reach their destination and call for help if needed.

Lodi Unified School District conducts annual security assessments of its facilities, and trains staff on emergency and safety procedures, according to Elodia Ortega-Lampkin, assistant superintendent of elementary education. All district schools conduct safety drills throughout the year, she added, which include teaching students what to do if they are ever approached by a stranger.

Ortega-Lampkin said that parents can help by discussing the following stranger safety tips with their children: • Don’t talk to strangers. • Don’t take anything from strangers. • Don’t go anywhere with someone you do not know.

• Use a buddy system and avoid walking anywhere alone.

• If a stranger approaches you, do everything you can to stop him or her from pulling you away.

• Get help from someone you trust immediately: a teacher, police officer, coach, other parent, or older siblings.

“We work closely with law enforcement regarding any reported threats near our schools and will continue to take all precautionary measures to ensure our students and staff are safe,” Ortega-Lampkin said.