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State police issued an alert on Monday warning that if law enforcement officials are contacted in response to a threat or a perceived threat in a local school, investigators must treat those threats as genuine, no matter what the circumstance.
According to police officials, “every threat received, even if ultimately determined to be false, is investigated thoroughly and often requires law enforcement, fire department, EMS and other emergency responder resources being tied up until that investigation is complete.”
Those instances often lead to businesses and other schools in the area into lockdown protocols, disrupting their day.
“These false threats can also create panic and alarm in our communities that could potentially result in injury as first responders, and worried parents, respond to these incidents,” officials added. “It is important to understand that even a threat made in jest or ‘swatting’ - placing an emergency call when no emergency exists - is a violation of the law and the person responsible can face multiple criminal charges to include felony charges of threatening.
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