Police have been making arrangements to speak with the preschooler who was lured away from his parents at a Halifax supermarket.

Special steps are being taken because the boy involved is four-years-old.

“We have to have someone from Children’s Aid Society help us and have to have specially trained officers do that,” Const. Brian Palmeter told the Rick Howe Show Thursday.

“While we normally like to wait until those interviews are done, we thought there was sufficient reason to get this notice out there right away in the event that this individual is out there,” said Palmeter.

Officers were called to the Joseph Howe Drive Superstore just after 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, after the four-year-old boy disappeared. Staff covered the exits and tried to find the child, who was later found in the upstairs washroom alone.

The man left the washroom and walked out the front doors. Police say he was not sexually or physically harmed.

Speaking to people on the street, there is mixed reaction to the incident.

“It’s very concerning,” said Theresa. “It’s obviously a first step to something and that’s not good.”

“I’m extremely concerned,” said Jonathan Power.

“I’m not overly concerned. It’s only an isolated incident,” said Aubrey.

But there is some consensus among Metro Halifax residents that this is not a common crime in the region.

“It’s shocking in this day any age because parents are so on the alert,” said Theresa. “I’m really surprised that it even happened.”

“I read the paper every day, I’m out here every night,” said Aubrey, a taxi driver. “This is the first time I’ve ever heard anything like that.”

Police describe the man they seek as white, age 25 to 35, 220 lbs., with short brown hair. At the time of the incident he was wearing a zip-up blue and white checkered hoodie, dark pants, a green ball hat with white stripes and sunglasses on top of the hat.

HRM Partners in Policing would like to remind parents and guardians to keep an eye on their children at all times.