Schools

Schools on Alert Over 'Suspicious' Black SUV

Black SUV lingered at Syosset elementary school, drove away when monitors approached.

Area schools are on alert following the report of a "suspicious" black SUV lingering in the parking lot of two Syosset elementary schools.

A black SUV was seen parked in the parking lot of J. Irving Baylis School during lunch time on Friday and again on Monday, according to a letter sent to parents Wednesday by Syosset Superintendent Dr. Ronald Friedman. 

A monitor approached the car on both occasions and on both occasions the driver took off. There was no interaction between the driver and the monitor, staff or students.

A report was filed with police and the security staff was notified of the incident.

A security guard noticed a similar SUV across the street from Robbins Lane School on Tuesday. He approached the truck while taking pictures of the driver. The driver said "this is a company car" and drove away. School district officials later determined him to be an employee of Huntington Coach, the bus company contracted by the district, who was performing required bus observations.

The district contacted Huntington Coach and asked that they give the school license plate numbers in advance for all company support vehicles and that workers be required to wear visible badges. The worker who refused to identify himself is being "dealt with," the Superintendent wrote in the letter.

Friedman said that students were kept out of recess for the day following the incident. You can read a full copy of the letter sent to parents here.

Plainview-Old Bethpage School District Superintendent Dr. Lorna R. Lewis also sent an alert to parents Wednesday alerting them to the incident and detailing preventative measures.

"Please know that our school personnel have been alerted and will be checking to ensure that no unidentified, occupied vehicle is near or in our parking lots, when children are outdoors," Lewis wrote. "At the same time, we are asking that all parents join us in reinforcing with our children that they should never respond to a stranger or approach a car with a stranger."




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