Police Find No Evidence of Threats to Kids from Suspicious White Van

The following email from Scarsdale Police Chief Steven DelBene was sent out to the community on Monday October 26, 2026.

Scarsdale Police Department Concludes Investigation Into Reports of Suspicious White Vans

The Scarsdale Police Department has concluded its investigation into recent reports involving suspicious white vans and children in the community. Detectives conducted interviews, reviewed available evidence, and developed detailed timelines of the reported events. Based on its investigation, the Department found no evidence of criminal activity or a threat to the children involved or the broader community.

The Department understands the concern these reports created among parents, children, and the broader community. We appreciate the residents who brought their concerns to our attention, as well as those who cooperated with the investigation, including by sharing information and available video footage.

While this investigation has concluded, the Department's commitment to protecting our children and the broader community remains unchanged. Every report involving the safety of children is taken seriously and will continue to receive the careful attention and thorough investigation it deserves. Our officers will be vigilant, as they have always been, and will investigate any new reports or concerns as they arise. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to continue having age-appropriate conversations with their children about personal safety, recognizing potentially unsafe situations, and seeking assistance from trusted adults.

The Scarsdale Police Department is available as a resource for parents and caregivers who have questions about children's safety or would like guidance on discussing personal safety with their families. Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Service has also developed a helpful resource, Stranger Safety by Age, which offers practical, age-appropriate guidance for families.

The Department encourages residents to report suspicious activity or circumstances that cause concern. Prompt reporting allows officers to evaluate situations and respond appropriately. Residents may contact the Scarsdale Police Department at 914-722-1200, or dial 911 in an emergency.

Commenting on the report at the Village Board meeting on Tuesday night October 27, Mayra Kirkendall Rodriguez said:

"I would like to thank the Scarsdale Chief of Police Mr. DelBene, and Detective Lieutenant Dinis Castro and their colleagues, for their diligence in investigating the reports concerning suspicious white vans and children in our community.

The Department’s October 26 press release states that officers conducted interviews, and reviewed available evidence. Most importantly, the investigation found no evidence of criminal activity or a threat to the children involved or to the broader community.

That conclusion matters. I appreciate the Department’s work, and I am grateful that it took residents’ concerns seriously and investigated them rather than dismissing them.

But I also believe this episode raises a broader question that deserves our attention: How do we protect public safety without allowing fear to become a justification for expanding surveillance of our residents?

Absolutely, children’s safety is important. If we the residents see something, we should report suspicious activity, and of course, I count on the police to investigate credible reports. Nothing I am saying diminishes those responsibilities.

However, There is an important distinction between responding to a specific safety concern and creating a climate in which residents come to believe that more surveillance is always necessary to keep their families safe.

Fear is powerful. When the subject is our children, it is especially powerful. And when people are frightened, they may be more willing to accept surveillance technologies that they might otherwise question—cameras, automated license-plate readers, facial recognition, or other systems that can track people’s movements and activities.

The danger is that a temporary concern can become the rationale for a permanent expansion of monitoring.

We should not have to choose between protecting our children and protecting our civil liberties. We can and must do both.

Indeed, the Department’s findings offer a useful reminder of why evidence matters. Residents raised concerns. Officers investigated. Evidence was reviewed. And the Department concluded that there was no evidence of a threat.

That is how public safety should work: through careful investigation, sound judgment, data, and facts—not through speculation on Scarsdale Buzz, anxiety, or pressure to adopt increasingly intrusive technology.

I therefore urge you not to use this incident, or the understandable fears it generated, as an argument for expanding surveillance of Scarsdale residents.
If new surveillance technology is ever proposed again, it should be considered openly and on its own merits. Officials should explain precisely what problem the technology is intended to solve, what evidence demonstrates its effectiveness, what information it collects, how long that information is retained, who can access it, and what safeguards prevent dangerous misuse.

Residents should have an opportunity to participate in that discussion before decisions are made—not after the technology has already been installed.

There should be clear limits, independent oversight, transparency, and accountability. And there should be a demonstrated public-safety need, not simply the assertion that more monitoring might make us feel safer.

A community’s safety should not come at the expense of the privacy and freedom that make that community worth living in.

I hope we can take the same approach as a community: protect our children, support our police, insist on evidence, and remain vigilant about the power of surveillance.

Let us not turn fear into policy. Let us turn facts into good policy."