Stranger Danger

In late March, a white van pulled alongside a 13-year-old Dunmore middle school student and the driver offered to give her a ride. When she refused, he became more insistent, police say. The girl ran to a friend's house and called police.

The student was unharmed, but the incident made a number of mid-valley residents and officials decide to take action, in the form of a "stranger danger" child safety and self-defense class at Karate USA in Dickson City last weekend.

Among those on hand was Lackawanna County First Assistant District Attorney Gene Talerico Jr., who engaged the kids in a free-wheeling discussion of what a stranger is, and what they should do if a stranger approaches them.

Very quickly the kids picked up on the magic word of the day: "No!"

Next to speak to the kids was Dickson City police officer Paul Nardozzi, who discussed "911" emergency calls and how and when to make them. He also described various kinds of situations that might arise when adults approach them and urged parents and kids to have a "secret password" in case the parent must send someone else to pick up their child in an emergency.

Nardozzi stressed the importance of planning for these kinds of situations.

"Too often parents don't know what to do when a child goes missing and they wait hours before doing something," he said. "As we've learned over the years, the first hours are critical."

The final segment of the afternoon was led by Master Eric Kovaleski and the rest of the instructors at Karate USA. Kovaleski demonstrated some basic self-defense moves that kids can use to break a hold or block an unwanted approach.

With luck, they'll never have to use it.

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