A young female student of Denlow Public School had a frightening experience on her way to school at approximately 8:20 a.m. on March 18.

While walking in the residential area of Bramble Drive and Barrydale Crescent, only a short distance from her school, the eight-year-old was grabbed by a young man unknown to her.

Indicating that he was armed with a knife, which remained unseen by the victim, the suspect allegedly exposed himself to the young girl.

The girl reported to police that the young man took off on foot down Barrydale Crescent.

The youngster bolted and continued on her path toward her school, immediately notifying a staff member on duty of what had happened. She was able to provide a thorough description of the suspect to police when they were contacted.

Toronto Police Service (TPS) is unable to make additional comments on the specific incident, as the investigation is still ongoing, and is requesting the public’s assistance in locating the suspect.  TPS released a description of the suspect on its website.

At the time of the incident, Toronto District School Board (TDSB) went through what TDSB communications officer Anna Caputo says is typical protocol for such an incident  including locking all school exit doors, notifying staff to not release any students until further notice, contacting police and maintaining a calm air throughout the school.

“When something like this happens in the community, there’s always an increased vigilance at the school,” said Caputo.

“Staff are on duty, they are aware of their surroundings. If anything, that might increase a bit more [in the future].”

Caputo said that schools normally emphasize safety to children quite often, whether similar incidents have taken place or not.

“Regularly teachers speak to students about staying safe and streetproofing tips,” she said.

But, she said, one of the most emphasized methods to ensure safety is the buddy system.

Denlow Public School only goes as high as Grade 6, and its feeder school, Windfields Junior High School, is approximately two kilometres away on the north side of York Mills Road.

At an estimated 24-minute walk, this means that it may not be as convenient for students to walk with older siblings or babysitters.

Caputo said that she would generally identify the area as “safe” based on the lack of reported problems in the area.

“I can’t say that I’ve recently prepared any letters home regarding similar incidents, so I would say it’s a fairly safe neighbourhood.”

Barrydale resident Kenneth Fisher echoes her sentiments.

“We’ve lived here for almost 20 years, right across from the school, and this is as safe a neighbourhood as you could find anywhere in the city,” said Fisher.

He said he rarely sees children walking to school alone in the area. “The younger ones, there’s generally a parent or grandparent or neighbour,” he said.