41°
Members of the Bergen County Bomb Squad swept both inside and outside the K-6 Franklin Elementary School on Caldwell Avenue before giving the all-clear, Saddle Brook Schools Supt. Toni Violetti said Tuesday morning, Nov. 14.
A SWAT team also responded to the 8 a.m. swatting incident, said Capt. John A. Zotollo, Jr., the officer in charge of the Saddle Brook Police Department.
The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office was notified and Saddle Brook's Fire Department, Ambulance Corps, and Office of Emergency Management were all placed on standby, the captain said.
Saddle Brook police ialso mmediately beefed up their presence at the school for the day.
Zotollo said his detectives "will continue to thoroughly investigate this incident and attempt to identify who was responsible."
Although such incidents have become a frequent nuisance, Zotollo said his department "takes each one very seriously."
Swatting exacts an emotional toll on all involved, which is usually the intent. Sometimes the recipient is targeted for a specific reason. Sometimes it's simply an effort to tie up law enforcement, authorities say.
Deploying SWAT teams and additional personnel to schools that end up being locked down can put people in danger, they note. It also diverts resources from potential areas of immediate need.
Many of the culprits call from out of state -- and sometimes even out of the country. They use programs that make it seem that the calls are coming from inside a particular house, school or other location.
"Unfortunately (and sadly), swatting incidents are not uncommon," Violetti wrote in a Nov. 14 email to the school community. "Every threat made to our schools is taken extremely seriously and thoroughly investigated."
Evacuated students and staff were bused back to the school, she said.
Dismissal on Tuesday was scheduled for the usual time: 3:05 p.m.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Fort Lee and receive free news updates.
