Street stalkers

By Danielle Galvin
A PAKENHAM Hills mum won’t be letting her daughter walk five minutes home from school, after two possible abduction attempts in a matter of weeks.
Bree Mitchell’s daughter goes to the school on Kennedy Road.
In one incident, two 11-year-old girls were walking along Herbert Street in Pakenham when a man aged in his twenties called out to them to say hello.
The driver of the car was wearing a light coloured tank top and square sunglasses.
It is believed the incident happened as the girls walked home from school in recent weeks.
Ms Mitchell said that the girls are friends with her daughter and were “nervous” when the man called out to them.
Her daughter will not be walking the short distance home from school.
“It’s hard because my daughter walks home with our neighbours but she won’t be doing that anymore,” she said.
The school sent a letter home with students urging them not to walk home alone.
“It is not something that happens frequently in Pakenham, but if it does happen, we want it to be reported to us,” Detective Sergeant Phil Jury said.
Just days before the young girls were approached, a man in a white van yelled out to two boys walking along Highland Road in Pakenham.
He is described as being in his thirties and was wearing a white cap and sunglasses.
The incident happened on Sunday 21 August and the 11 and 15-year-old boys ran off.
Their parents notified one of the assistant principals at the school who contacted police.
“These kids did the right thing by not responding to the man in the van,” said Det Sgt Jury.
Police are investigating if the two incidents are linked and urged parents not to panic.
“We do not know the motivation of these people, it could be innocent. It could be a delivery van driver asking for directions,” said Det Sgt Jury.
Pakenham Hills principal Dale Hendrick was confident that the situation was under control, with police monitoring the Kennedy Road school grounds after hours.
“The children have to be vigilant and they are very aware of it.”
Mr Hendrick said he had been contacted by the police who told him they would be patrolling the area around the school when classes finished for the day.
“The kids are very aware of this sort of thing because of incidents we’ve had in the past,” he said.
Police are investigating the two incidents.
“There is nothing to say that it was the same car in both incidents, but it may be,” Det Sgt Jury said.