Please attribute to Detective Sergeant Richard Sami:
At approximately 8.10am this morning a nine-year-old girl was walking to her school on Bolton Street, Blockhouse Bay after being dropped off by a family friend.
She walked past a man standing next to a black SUV vehicle. He has offered her money to get into his car, she has declined and quickly run to her school and immediately told an adult who called police.
Police were deployed to the area immediately and carried out area enquiries on surrounding streets but the vehicle was not located. We have today taken photographs of the scene and are in the process of canvassing the area for CCTV cameras.
The man is described as being Caucasian in his mid-30s with short blonde/brown curly hair. He was approximately 165cm tall and of average build. He was wearing a dark coloured t-shirt and dark coloured shorts.
Police will continue tomorrow to canvas the area and will be looking for similar vehicles. We will increase police presence in the area before and after school while we investigate this incident.
It is important to stress that what has happened today is not an attempted abduction but rather a suspicious approach and we are taking this matter very seriously.
We are in close communication with the school involved and encourage anyone with information to contact the Avondale Police Station on 09 820 5784. Information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
The community can be reassured that Police take any reports of suspicious behaviour towards children extremely seriously. Where necessary, matters of this type may require a child to be interviewed by specialist interviewers to gather the full information and we are often not able to give full and immediate public commentary to reports of this nature.
Our advice to parents is to be alert and not alarmed – it is a positive thing that parents and teachers are having conversations with children about safety and as a result of increased vigilance, we are experiencing an increase in reports of this nature.
ENDS
Shelley Nahr/NZ Police