Recent child-luring incidents cause alarm in North Bay

Two recent incidents of adults trying to lure children have North Bay and area parents and caregivers on edge.

Ontario Provincial Police are looking into one incident at a school bus stop on Highway 94 at an East Ferris bus stop where a man approached a child waiting for the bus. He encouraged the child to get into his car.

Meanwhile, North Bay police are trying to find two suspects who approached a nine-year-old playing at Thompson Park.

The two suspects asked the child to leave with them in their vehicle. Both times police were notified and suspect descriptions were released. Neither of the children were harmed.

Grandfather Renzo Silveri often rollerblades with his grandson Easton in Thompson Park. He was shocked to hear it happened in the park where he spends time with his grandson.

"An adult tries to take advantage of a child? That's a very scary situation," Silveri said.

Diane Philbin, who takes her grandchildren to play in the park, said she finds the situation "disturbing."

"I'm very concerned. I find it very upsetting," Philbin said.

"Parks are meant to be safe."

North Bay police are advising parents and guardians to have a difficult conversation with their children about strangers.

"Parents need to remain vigilant as they do at all times especially when they do with young children," said Insp. Jeff Warner.

“We're asking anybody who may have been in the area of Fisher Street and Thompson Park who may have dash cam video of someone leaving the park that matches the description.”

Jesse Reid, autism services facilitator at One Kids Place, encourages parents to teach their kids the difference between 'safe strangers' -- police, firefighters, security guards and store clerks -- and 'unsafe strangers' who present a danger.

"We try and talk to parents about not having identifiable information on children's clothing or their backpacks or coats,” Reid said.

“It makes it easier for someone unknown to that child to approach them and say ‘Hey so and so, your parents told me to pick you up.’"

Reid said parents and guardians should have predetermined meeting spots in the event they become separated from each other.

“It’s one thing to tell our children don’t talk to strangers and don’t get into an unknown vehicle,” she said.