Kingston Police seek to identify individual recording children on school yard
Kingston Police have released the above image, taken from security footage, and are requesting the public’s assistance to identify the individual pictured, who was “watching children at a local school yard.”
According to police, on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023, the individual was seen standing on Brock Street near Barrie Street, “watching children play in the nearby school yard.”
“The individual was observed crossing Brock Street and approaching the school yard fence where the children were playing,” Kingston Police said in a press release on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023.
“School staff were alerted by students; however, the individual left the area walking west bound on Brock Street prior to staff being able to engage with them.”
École Catholique Cathédrale is located on Johnson Street and runs the length of the block on Barrie Street between Johnson and Brock Streets.
In a follow-up to the press release – and after learning that a soccer game had been taking place in the school yard at the time – Kingstonist inquired with Kingston Police as to what specifically the individual was doing that constituted “suspicious behaviour.” After liaising with an officer in the unit investigating the incident, Constable Ash Gutheinz, Media Relations Officer for Kingston Police, explained that “the individual was filming children with a cell phone.”
“That is what made the incident suspicious in nature and we are hoping to have this individual identified so that the investigator can speak with them,” Gutheinz said.
Police described the individual as having a dark complexion and dark hair. At the time of the incident, the person was wearing a light-coloured T-shirt, black pants with an emblem on the upper right leg, and light-coloured running shoes.
Anyone with information regarding the incident or the individual’s identity is asked to contact Detective Stefan Walker at 613-549-4660 ext. 6332, or via email at [email protected].
Tips can also be provided anonymously by calling the Kingston Police general number (613-549-4660 ext. 0) and requesting to remain anonymous.