Suspicious Vehicle Reported

On March 19, 2009, at approximately 2:45 pm, parents of an eight-year-old girl contacted the Amherst Police Department and reported that they had just observed a suspicious vehicle. The vehicle was described as a silver, four-door sedan, possibly with out-of-state license plates. The child was walking with her sibling and parents when the vehicle did a U-turn in the road. The operator of the vehicle said something to the child who in turn ran back to her parents and reported the incident. The child had been briefed by her parents about heightened awareness and safety steps, and the parents promptly reported the incident to police. There is no evidence at this point that there was an attempt to lure the child in to the vehicle, and it is unclear what the driver said as he turned his vehicle around. The physical description of this driver is much different than that of the person involved in the incidents in neighboring towns. The operator of this vehicle was African-American.
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The investigation into this specific report will continue and the school department has been fully briefed about this and other reported incidents. Investigators from the Amherst Police Department will continue to work with the schools to create the safest environment possible.
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Increased awareness has resulted in numerous calls to the police about observations and occurrences. Specifically, we've received reports from residents about vehicles in their neighborhoods that seem out of place or that are new to the area. Each of these reports is appreciated and will be investigated thoroughly.
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Any information can be reported to the Amherst Police Department at 413-259-3000 or on the anonymous tip line 413-259-3344.