Tuesday, January 06, 2009
A little elaboration, please
Two hours ago, we got this email from our daughter's school:
We have been notified by the Princeton Township Police that an escaped prisoner from Montgomery Township is being tracked near the Cherry Hill Road and 518 intersection , heading toward Skillman. State helicopters are in use. For full precaution, our school is locked. All of our students are inside and safe; the staff is on alert. No one is permitted to go into or out of any building. Classes and inside activities are proceeding as usual. We will notify you when the situation changes.
Then, about five minutes ago, we got this:
The Princeton Township Police have notified us that the prisoner who escaped in Montgomery Township has not yet been apprehended. Our outdoor activities have been cancelled today. Dismissal will be an indoor one, similar to dismissal on rainy days, since the police have advised us that dismissal with proper supervision is safe for the students based on the location where the man was last seen. Dismissal time (3:15) will be normal, and all of the buses will run. Students will be carefully supervised as they move to their buses. We prefer that you allow your child to take the bus and meet him/her at the bus stop, but if you choose to pick up your child, you must come into the building to get the child. After you get your child, please leave the campus in a timely fashion. There will be no after school sports or chess today.
Is it just me, or do you think that a little elaboration might be useful before we decide that a couple of miles is sufficient buffer between the fleeing criminal and our children? What did this guy supposedly do? If the dude had been picked up for check-kiting, that's one thing, something hideous, violent, or depraved, that's another. I feel that we need to profile this guy in order to decide whether to give the "all clear" signal.
And I have another question: This guy got such a head start on the Montgomery Township police that even the helicopters cannot find him? What about the hounds? Please tell me that we have bloodhounds working this issue. As a concerned parent, I believe that we need more bloodhounds.
9 Comments:
By 
D.E. Cloutier, at
Tue Jan 06, 04:04:00 PM:
"I believe that we need more bloodhounds."
At the end of a blog post, you often write "unleash the hounds." It's hard to keep them in stock.
By TigerHawk, at
Tue Jan 06, 04:25:00 PM:
By Eowyn, at
Tue Jan 06, 05:33:00 PM:
Beagles. There's nothing like a good beagle. Although they're not exactly the type to strike terror into the hearts of hardened criminals.
By 
, at
Tue Jan 06, 05:47:00 PM:
Beagles. There's nothing like a good beagle. Although they're not exactly the type to strike terror into the hearts of hardened criminals.
What about the Beagle Boys,the criminal companions in the Scrooge McDuck comic books?
By , at
Tue Jan 06, 07:48:00 PM:
It's possible that the escapee is a convicted smoker, hence the extreme security measures to protect the children. He may conceivably be armed with a peanut butter sandwich.
It's unlikely that the felon is a convicted white adult male Republican smoker with a PB&J, else every school in the continental US would be under lockdown.
By , at
Tue Jan 06, 08:01:00 PM:
Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen revenue shortfalls in the current year Montgomery Township budget, there has been a bloodhound force reduction.
A local paving contractor has offered to make his girlfriend's dog available for tracking duty. Yorkshire terriers however require a longer training period, so it will be unavailable to track this particular offender until next Monday.
Can the children stay put just a little bit longer?
By , at
Tue Jan 06, 08:06:00 PM:
that would explain the police all over 518 in montgomery township on my ride home...
By , at
Wed Jan 07, 12:54:00 AM:
I was on 518 at 9:30 this morning, about a half mile away from the escape as the crow flies, when a cop car blew by me with lights flashing.
He doesn't sound like the most dangerous guy in the world (he was in on a drug charge) but you never know. I agree a little more initial info would have been helpful.
By Counter Trey, at
Wed Jan 07, 01:14:00 AM:
I received a similar email this morning, except that the headmaster wrote that the school was in "lockdown," which made it seem a bit more ominous.
