Maple Leaf School reports strange man taking students’ photos

June Harkness, the principal at the Maple Leaf International School, a private school run by Canadians in Petit Valley, Diego Martin, has written to parents alerting them to the presence outside the school on Tuesday last of a man taking photographs. She said quick action by staff resulted in stopping the man and noting the licence number and the car for identification. A report was made to the Four Roads Police station and the school’s staff and security guards swung into action immediately in case there was some criminal intention behind the photographs being taken of the school and its students, who were just leaving around 2.30 pm.

Miss Harkness said she checked with the media to see if any press photographer had been sent to the school, but no media house had any photographer assigned for any reason to Maple Leaf. She stated that because Tuesday’s incident occurred on the same day that an attempt had been made to kidnap a woman at Goodwood Gardens, many parents were anxious. However, the school was assured that there was no reason to believe there was any connection between the two events. She said however that alertness and security have been heightened at the school and parents were asked to consider the travel patterns of their children. Michael Aboud of Amalgamated Security has offered to hold an evening session for parents with regards to protection against criminal action. This meeting will be held at the school on Wednesday at 7.30 pm. Miss Harkness assured parents that Maple Leaf is a safe place and while there was need to be safety conscious the focus should be on keeping calm and proactive and that the staff would continue their vigilance to be aware and alert to intrusion of any kind.  Four Roads confirmed that they were investigating the report.