Featured Story

Superintendent urges caution after student approached by stranger at bus stop

A Southold Elementary School student was approached at a bus stop two weeks ago by a man who offered to give her a ride to school, according to Southold Town police.

The incident occurred at approximately 8 a.m., when a black man in a four-door gray car offered to drive the girl to school by saying she had missed the bus. The girl refused and the man drove off, according to a Dec. 5 letter from Superintendent David Gamberg to Southold families.

“The safety of your children is of utmost importance to us,” Mr. Gamberg wrote. “We are sending this letter as a precaution and to encourage you to continue to speak to your child about staying safe, specifically about ‘stranger danger.’ ”

Mr. Gamberg’s letter listed safety measures parents should discuss with their kids.

Elementary school principal Ellen O’Neill reported the incident to police last Wednesday, according to a police report. Police interviewed the student, who said the man approached her on either Monday or Tuesday of the previous week.