An upset grandmother flagged down Portsmouth police at Tracy Park after claiming a man handed a child what appeared to be candy but turned out to be something entirely different.
According to the police report, the woman approached officers around 2 p.m. while attending an event at the park.
She had a child with her and reported that someone at the event had given the child an item that looked like a candy sucker.
The problem?
The item was allegedly a condom packaged in a way that resembled a lollipop.
🚨 POLICE INVESTIGATE
Officers spoke with the child, who is in the fourth grade, and began trying to determine who had distributed the item.
According to the report, the child told officers it was not one of the women working at the City Health Department booth.
Instead, she said a man had handed it to her.
However, the child was unable to provide a description of the individual, and officers were unable to identify him.
👀 HEALTH DEPARTMENT RESPONDS
Police also spoke with employees from the City Health Department who were participating in the event.
According to the report, health department workers told officers they were not allowing children to take items from their table.
The report does not indicate that officers found evidence that any health department employee was involved.
⚖️ WHAT HAPPENED?
At this point, exactly what occurred remains unclear.
Police were unable to identify the man the child described, and the report does not indicate whether the item originated from a booth, another attendee, or somewhere else at the event.
No charges were filed.
🏠 A GOOD REMINDER FOR PARENTS
While community events are generally safe and family-friendly, child safety advocates recommend reminding children not to accept food, candy, medications, or other items from strangers without checking with a parent or guardian first.
In this case, the grandmother’s concern prompted a police investigation, but officers were unable to determine who allegedly handed the item to the child.
