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Schoolchildren find safety in numbers

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A review of attempted abductions found 36 percent happened as kids were going to and from school activities.

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By SHERRI ACKERMAN

sackerman@tampatrib.com

Published: October 23, 2009

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Somer Thompson

TAMPA - It's not the answer parents expect and it's not exactly realistic.

But whenever someone asks Nancy McBride to recommend when children can walk safely to and from school, she tells them never.

The question is coming up frequently this week for McBride, safety director with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. The reason: Seven-year-old Somer Thompson was found dead Wednesday in a landfill after disappearing as she walked home from school near Jacksonville.

The case is a horrible reminder of how quickly things can go wrong, McBride said, and how vigilant parents must be, especially around schools.

"If I am a child predator or an offender, I am going to go where the kids are," said McBride, who works in West Palm Beach. "And that's where they are."

The Alexandria, Va.-based missing children's center has researched 3,500 attempted abductions since 2005 and found 36 percent occurred while children were going to and from school or school-related activities.

For Bryan Sullivan of Clearwater, who lives more than two miles from his sons' school, the best way to ensure they reach Belcher Elementary safe and sound is to walk with them.

"You never know what's out there."

Thirteen-year-old Clay Moore found out. The Manatee County boy was snatched at gunpoint in 2007 from his bus stop, tied up and left in a field. Clay managed to escape and call for help.

His kidnapper, Vicente Ignacio Beltran-Moreno, now 25, was sentenced last month to life in prison.

Some children such as 12-year-old Jennifer Odom of Pasco County never make it home. Jennifer disappeared after getting off her school bus in 1993. Witnesses reported seeing a light blue truck near her. Her body was found a few weeks later. Her murder remains unsolved.

In Somer's case, McBride said, a vehicle likely was involved because she disappeared so quickly, though investigators on Thursday had no leads. But that's what happened in 66 percent of the incidents McBride's agency reviewed, she said.

She hopes parents will use Somer's death as an opportunity to talk to their children about protecting themselves.

"Stay away from the car," she advised. "Don't give directions. Don't help find a lost puppy. You don't have to be polite."

Walk or run away, look for a trusted adult or older friend and tell authorities. But most of all, McBride said, if someone is trying to pull you into their vehicle, "Don't go willingly. Do everything in your power to get out of that situation. Once you get into that car, everything changes."

Abductions are still rare, child advocates say. Federal statistics estimate about 115 children are kidnapped each year. Walking to school is still safe as long as precautions are taken.

"We don't want parents to freak out," said Bevin Maynard, coordinator for Safe Kids, an agency affiliated with St. Joseph's Children's Hospital that helps prevent child injuries.

Safe Kids promotes the walking bus, an international program that urges at least one parent to walk with a group of students much like a car pool. It's healthier, decreases traffic and cuts down on the long waits in the pick-up line, Maynard said.

More children seem to be walking to school these days due to the economy and other factors, said Hillsborough County Sheriff's Deputy Michael Hudson, who oversees 253 school crossing guards.

Guards report unfamiliar cars or strange people hanging around school grounds. Still, parents need to make a plan with their children when it comes to walking to school, Hudson said.

"If something goes bad, they need to know where to go," he said.

Statewide, school bus service isn't available for children who live within two miles of their school unless there are hazardous conditions such as heavy traffic in their area.

In Hillsborough, with more than 190,000 students, about 90,000 ride the bus, said John Franklin, general manager of the school district's transportation department.

Bus drivers also are trained to report concerns, he said. They don't drop off kindergartners at bus stops unless they are with an older sibling or a parent or guardian is waiting for them.

"We err on the side of caution," Franklin said. "We bring them back to school and call their parents."

News Channel 8 Reporter Peter Bernard contributed to this report. Reporter Sherri Ackerman can be reached at (813) 259-7144.

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