Pitman Update

Earlier this evening (@ 7:30 PM) through a "conference call," Mayor Johnson and Chief Zimmerman provided an update on the suspicious incidents that occurred on Monday, January 16th by the Pitman Middle School and yesterday by the Memorial School. Due to technical difficulties, we were unable to record this call as we had initially anticipated. For those of you that missed the "live conference call," the following is the statement that was read by Chief Zimmerman:

"Good evening... My name is Bob Zimmerman, and I'm the Chief of Police in the Borough of Pitman.

As you are probably aware... On Monday - January 16th at approximately 3:30 PM, it was reported that a young girl (while walking) was approached by a stranger in a vehicle on E. Holly Avenue near the Pitman Middle School. The 11 year old alleges that the driver, a white male, in his fifties and balding, approached her in a white, cargo van. The driver spoke to the girl, and it is believe...d, tried to verbally lure her into the van.

Yesterday (Tuesday, January 24th) at approximately 4:50 PM it was reported that a young boy (while walking in his neighborhood) was approached by a stranger on Hudson Avenue near the Pitman Memorial School. The 10 year old alleges that the driver, a white male, in his early 20's, approached him in a Older Model, Red, Jeep Wagon with a wheel-chair lift on the rear. The driver spoke to the boy, and stated, "do you want a lift?," and then drove from the immediate area. The same vehicle was stopped by a Pitman Police Officer a short-time later by the Post Office on N. Broadway after being involved in a minor hit-and-run accident.

I must reinforce, that yesterday's juvenile encounter with the stranger, posed no direct or immediate threat. There was no physical confrontation. The stranger was questioned by police, and was not charged with a crime. After consultation today with the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office, it has been reaffirmed that no criminal statutes are applicable to this incident, and more specifically, the actions of the stranger. There is no reason to believe that this incident is in anyway related to the incident that occurred on January 16th. Both these matters are still being investigated by our agency, and if anything new develops, information will be reported on the Borough's FB Page; Pitman Today on-line; and the Gloucester County Times (NJ.Com).

Additionally, in an effort to better educate our our children, the Pitman Police Department will be conducting "Stranger- Danger" presentations throughout the school district during the following dates / times:

Pitman Middle School - Thursday @ 9:00 AM (First Session); 9:30 AM (Second Session)
Kindle School - Thursday @ 10:30 AM (First Session); 12:30 PM (Second Session)
Walls School - Friday @ 10:30 AM (First Session); 12:30 PM (Second Session)
Memorial School - Monday 10:30 AM (First Session); 12:30 PM (Second Session)

The Pitman Police Department will continue its efforts to pro-actively address these situations of concern, and is working closely with the school district to ensure that your children are safe. Please take the time to speak with your children directly regarding these concerns, and provide instruction for dealing with strangers if they are approached. Police will be out in "full force" and will be aggressively patrolling our schools and the surrounding areas. A uniformed officer and a marked patrol car will be stationed at Memorial School for the remainder of the week during the morning and in the afternoon for dismissal. We ask that you remain vigilant, and if you see anything suspicious, contact the Pitman Police Department by dialing 911.

Should you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at chiefzimmerman@pitman.org. Thank you for taking the time to listen to our very important message! Have a safe and pleasant evening..."