LAHAINA — In light of a stranger danger incident involving school-aged children in West Maui last week, parents and others are setting up a walking group and creating a visible presence in order to deter other incidents.

Around 30 parents, pastors, representatives from Mayor Michael Victorino’s administration and Community Resource Officer Paul Pomainville of the Maui Police Department gathered Tuesday morning at a park along Lahainaluna Road, near the cluster of Princess Nahienaena Elementary, Lahaina Intermediate and Lahainaluna High.

The group discussed when and what to report to police and how to put together a group similar to a neighborhood watch.

The meeting was called following an incident Feb. 4, when a man holding a bat tried to force an 11-year-old girl into his vehicle while the girl walked to school in Lahaina with a 6-year-old girl between 7:15 and 7:40 a.m, police said. The 11-year-old managed to escape.

Police Lt. Gregg Okamoto said Tuesday afternoon that there were no updates on the case. He said that the incident was not reported to police until late in the evening, so police patrolled near the schools the next day.

At the gathering, Pomainville told those in attendance to report incidents to police, including suspicious cars and people, as soon as possible and not wait. Early reporting helps police document the incident and other elements, including the vehicle.

If another stranger danger incident or other criminal activity comes up, police can reference earlier reports, he said. “We got something to look at,” he said.

People can call the nonemergency number for things, such as abandoned vehicles, at 244-6400, or call or text 911 in an emergency, he said.

When reporting an incident or suspicious activity, note the license plate number, make and model of vehicles and descriptions of people involved, such ethnicity, height and weight. Pomainville said people also can take photos and/or video of suspicious activity or people.

The man in the Feb. 4 incident was described as being in his late 20s to early 30s, average height and slightly heavy build with dark hair. He was wearing black shoes, black pants and a black hooded sweatshirt, police said.

He was driving a newer model black or dark gray four-door sedan, possibly a Honda. No license plate number was available.

With only five patrol officers on the road in the Lahaina area, Pomainville asked for the public’s help in finding the offender. There are school resource officers, but they normally are busy at the schools and cannot patrol the roads around the schools daily, he said.

As for neighborhood patrols, Pomainville said they are successful in deterring crime.

At the gathering, two Lahaina mothers said that their children, too, were apparent targets of stranger danger. A 14-year-old girl was walking to hula in the afternoon around two weeks ago along Front Street when a man asked her if she needed a ride.

Another mother said that her 10-year-old daughter was walking home from school in Lahaina last month when the girl said a man grabbed her shirt from behind. Both victims were not hurt.

Meeting organizer Victoria Bellarosa, who grew up in the area, said it’s a different time from when she was little and played and rode her bike freely. She wanted to bring the community together on this issue.

Instead of doing her morning runs elsewhere, she said she could perhaps run in the Lahainaluna Road area, as part of the walking group for parents and supporters.

One parent said she already is walking around the schools to see if anything suspicious is going on.

Hoku Gonzales, a parent of boys at Lahaina Intermediate and Princess Nahienaena Elementary schools who was at the gathering, said, “it’s important for everyone to come together.”

“We are not going to stand for this kind of stuff,” he said.

Gonzales’ wife was “shaken up” by the recent incident, but he, too, is concerned for the community, which is like a family.

“We take pride in that,” he said.

Pablo Celiz, whose children are grown, showed up on behalf of International Christian Fellowship, an area church. There are lots of young children who attend the church, he said.

And how are their parents feeling?

“They are worried, they are so worried,” he said.

* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.