Children playing outside Swampscott Elementary School were hustled back indoors on Monday after staff spotted a man in tactical or security-style clothing park near the school and walk into the woods bordering the playground. Swampscott police say they want to identify and speak with him, though he is not currently suspected of a crime.
According to Boston 25 News, the man was wearing a black sweatshirt marked “security” on the back along with black pants, and was seen near the school on Monday before heading into nearby wooded land. School staff brought children inside as a precaution, and police say they want to speak with him following concerns raised by the school. Officers do not believe he is involved in any crime.
The encounter unfolded at Swampscott Elementary School's Whitman Road campus, the town's consolidated K-4 facility that opened in September 2024 to merge the former Stanley, Hadley, and Clarke elementary schools into one building. The $98 million, 150,000-square-foot school sits on the former Stanley Elementary site, and its grounds border adjacent wooded areas, according to Itemlive, which helps explain how someone could walk off school property and quickly disappear into tree cover.
Principal Sends Families an Email on Enhanced Security
The school's principal sent an email to families stating that enhanced security steps were put in place while the incident remains under investigation, the station's report noted. Swampscott Elementary is led by Principal Lori Sanborn, who previously headed Hadley Elementary before the district's 2024 merger, while Superintendent Jason Calichman oversees the broader Swampscott Public Schools system, per the Swampscott Tides.
The campus already relies on a daily safety routine built around assigned Swampscott police officers who help manage morning arrival and afternoon dismissal for the roughly 750 students who attend, the Tides reports. That existing police presence at drop-off and pickup times forms the backdrop against which Monday's sighting stood out enough to prompt a precautionary move indoors during outdoor play.
What Happens if the Man Is Identified
Anyone with information has been asked to contact the Swampscott Police Department, which is led by Chief Ruben Quesada, appointed in March 2022 following a public recruitment process, according to Itemlive. The department expanded its ranks in July, swearing in four new officers and promoting two veterans to lieutenant positions overseeing incident command and public communication, Itemlive separately reported.
Open questions remain about who the man was and why he was wearing clothing marked “security,” including whether he was an off-duty security worker using public trails near the school or whether surveillance footage captured identifying details such as a vehicle license plate. If investigators determine someone falsely posed as a security officer or other authority figure, Massachusetts law under M.G.L. Chapter 268, Section 33, as amended in November 2025, allows for a fine of up to $1,000 and up to two and a half years in prison, according to Mass.gov. Separately, unauthorized entry onto school or municipal grounds after being forbidden by lawful authority can constitute criminal trespass under M.G.L. Chapter 266, Section 120, punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $100 fine, per Ellison Law LLC.
A Campus Built With State Security Standards in Mind
The Whitman Road school's construction was backed by a $34 million grant from the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The campus serves a town of about 15,000 residents spread across three square miles on the North Shore, roughly 15 miles northeast of Boston.
This is not the first time Swampscott police have urged residents to report suspicious activity quickly. In a prior disturbance involving a suspicious individual in a residential area in January 2025, police safely resolved the situation and reiterated the importance of prompt community reporting near public areas. No arrests or charges have been announced in connection with Monday's encounter near the elementary school.
