An uneasiness has swept over the Stoney Nakoda First Nation: RCMP are investigating three separate suspicious incidents where children were approached by strangers in vehicles.
They all happened in June on the south side of the community. In all the cases, the children ran away.
“It is worrisome and it is kind of stressful. The kids get worried and they ask, ‘Well, why can’t I go out?'” said Nikki Clarke, a mother of three, on Wednesday.
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“It’s very heightened here and everybody is on edge and everybody is watching out for everybody.”
Police said the vehicles in each case were different and so were the descriptions of the people inside them. In some cases, there were multiple people in the vehicle.
“We are always concerned when that kind of call comes in because of the possibility of what we might be investigating,” said Const. Jennifer Brewer of the Cochrane RCMP.
“We want the public to remain vigilant and safe and give us as [many] details as possible when they see it.”
It’s not uncommon for lost travellers to unknowingly trespass onto the First Nation but the community has seen an increase in suspicious vehicles where people park — sometimes for hours — on the gravel roads.
Sandus Twoyoungmen is a youth mentor in Morley. He said he has personally approached at least five drivers in the past year, who then sped away.
“This is our backyard and we want to feel safe. It’s our community… It feels like we are being invaded,” said Twoyoungmen.
The community has started a Facebook page to update families and post tips.
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