Mounties make rare child kidnap warning

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 10 (UPI) -- The Royal Canadian Mounted Police issued a rare warning to parents in suburban Vancouver an Asian child had been targeted for kidnapping soon.

RCMP Cpl. Jennifer Pound said the force had little to go on from information received Tuesday, but enough to issue the warning to parents in Richmond, south of Vancouver.

"We completely understand it might instill fear in people but we want to get the message out to parents. I can't see any other way this can be done," Pound said. "To not put the information out there would be negligent on our part."

She said the intended victim had not been identified "but we do know it is an elementary school in Richmond," The Province newspaper reported.

Wednesday, the Richmond school board sent letters home in English and Mandarin with instructions for parents to review safety procedures with children, including avoiding strangers, staying in groups and screaming and yelling to attract attention if a child feels threatened, the Sun said.