Light Rain Fog/Mist 44°
Tag:

School Safety

Police & Fire
Student Holding Water Pistol At Putnam Valley High School Prompts Police Response Student Holding Water Pistol At Putnam Valley High School Prompts Police Response
Student Holding Water Pistol At Putnam Valley High School Prompts Police Response Police conducted an extensive investigation after a student was seen sitting in the parking lot of a Hudson Valley high school holding what appeared to be a gun, authorities said. The incident began in Putnam County on Friday, April 19 around 12:15 p.m., when a Putnam Valley High School student reported that she had seen a boy sitting inside a car in the parking lot while holding what looked like a gun, according to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office. By the time the school resource officer was told, the suspect had already left the campus.  The Sheriff's Office then began an investig…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Chimney Fire Prompts Emergency Response At Northern Westchester High School Chimney Fire Prompts Emergency Response At Northern Westchester High School
Chimney Fire Prompts Emergency Response At Northern Westchester High School Firefighters raced to a high school in Northern Westchester after receiving reports of a chimney fire. The incident happened on Monday morning, April 8, when crews from the Millwood Fire Department responded to a reported chimney fire at Fox Lane High School in Bedford.  According to the department, arriving crews soon discovered that the affected chimney was clogged and quickly worked to unclog it and return the situation to safety.  No injuries were reported. 

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Delivery Driver Charged After Confronting High School Security In Northern Westchester Delivery Driver Charged After Confronting High School Security In Northern Westchester
Delivery Driver Charged After Confronting High School Security In Northern Westchester A delivery driver was taken into custody after nearly hitting security officers with her car at a Northern Westchester high school following a confrontation with them, police said. The incident began on Wednesday, March 13 at around 12:30 p.m., when security personnel at Byram Hills High School in Armonk confronted a delivery woman who parked her car in an unauthorized vehicle, according to North Castle Police.  When she was told to move her car to the proper location for deliveries, the woman became belligerent and drove off. She then failed to comply with security personnel's directi…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Police Conduct Drills At Several Schools In Mahopac: 'No Cause For Alarm' Police Conduct Drills At Several Schools In Mahopac: 'No Cause For Alarm'
Police Conduct Drills At Several Schools In Mahopac: 'No Cause For Alarm' An increased law enforcement presence was seen at several schools in the Hudson Valley as police conducted a lockdown drill.  The drill was conducted in Putnam County on Wednesday, March 13 at around 8:30 a.m. at Mahopac High School, Mahopac Middle School, and Mahopac Falls Academy, Carmel Police announced.  At the time of the drill, an increased law enforcement presence from the Carmel Police Department and Putnam County Sheriff's Office was seen in the Mahopac Central School District. However, police said there was "no cause for alarm and no threat to the community." The drill…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Woman From Region Nabbed With 3 Guns On School Grounds, Police Say Woman From Region Nabbed With 3 Guns On School Grounds, Police Say
Woman From Region Nabbed With 3 Guns On School Grounds, Police Say A woman from the region was allegedly nabbed with three handguns she had on a high school campus, according to police. Sullivan County resident Amanda Jones, age 38, of Monticello, was arrested by the Village of Liberty Police on Thursday, March 7. According to Chief Steven D'Agata of the Liberty Police, the investigation began when Jones was found to have three handguns during a traffic stop. Jones was a passenger in the vehicle and was found to have a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic handgun, a loaded Ruger SR22 .22 caliber semi-automatic handgun, and a Glock 43 9mm semiautomatic&n…

SHARE

by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Teen Accused Of Texting Threats To Girl In Region Teen Accused Of Texting Threats To Girl In Region
Teen Accused Of Texting Threats To Girl In Region A Massachusetts teen with a history of making bomb threats at a school has been taken into custody for allegedly texting threatening messages to a girl in New York. The incident began in Columbia County on Tuesday, March 5 when the Hudson Police Department received a report from a concerned mother and her juvenile daughter regarding disturbing physical threats received on the daughter's cell phone.  The unknown sender made threats to harm the 17-year-old and her friends, referencing a recent altercation on the school bus, the Hudson Police Department said. The girl received text messa…

SHARE

by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Man Charged With Making Threat Of Violence Against School District In Region Man Charged With Making Threat Of Violence Against School District In Region
Man Charged With Making Threat Of Violence Against School District In Region A 37-year-old man from the region was charged with making an alleged threat against a school district in the region. Sullivan County resident Steven Kelly, of Narrowsburg, was arrested on Friday, Feb. 2 for allegedly making threats against the Sullivan West School District in Jeffersonville.  According to Sullivan County Undersheriff Eric Chaboty, deputies received information shortly before 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 1, Kelly had made posts on social media expressing his dissatisfaction with the school district.  In his posts, he allegedly referred to a gun. He had also made verba…

SHARE

by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Increased Police Presence Scheduled For Several Mahopac Schools: 'No Emergency' Increased Police Presence Scheduled For Several Mahopac Schools: 'No Emergency'
Increased Police Presence Scheduled For Several Mahopac Schools: 'No Emergency' Several schools in the Hudson Valley are scheduled to have an increased law enforcement presence as part of a drill, police announced.  Three schools in the Putnam County will have an increased police presence on Thursday, Jan. 11 as part of a lockdown drill, the Carmel Police Department announced.  The three schools with increased presence will be Mahopac High School, Mahopac Middle School, and the Mahopac Falls Academy, the department said.  As part of the drill, officers and deputies from Carmel Police and the Putnam County Sheriff's Office will be at the school propertie…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
New Update: Classes Canceled For Day At School In Hudson Valley After Violent Attack New Update: Classes Canceled For Day At School In Hudson Valley After Violent Attack
New Update: Classes Canceled For Day At School In Hudson Valley After Violent Attack New update: A school in the Hudson Valley has been closed for the day following a violent attack in which two students were injured in a reported stabbing. Click here for an updated story: 13-Year-Old Charged For Monhagen Middle School Stabbing In Middletown The incident occurred in Orange County around 8 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 13 at Monhagen Middle School in Middletown. "We have just completed a full physical grid check of the entire Monhagen Middle School campus," said school officials. "The situation was isolated to one area of the building." All roads leading to the school wil…

SHARE

by Kathy Reakes
Schools
High School In Hudson Valley Closed After Student Brawl Breaks Out High School In Hudson Valley Closed After Student Brawl Breaks Out
High School In Hudson Valley Closed After Student Brawl Breaks Out A physical altercation involving students has resulted in the closure of a high school in the Hudson Valley. In Orange County, Middletown High School will be closed on Friday, Nov. 17 following the fight on Thursday afternoon, Nov. 16. The closure for grades 9-12 only. All K-8 campuses will be open. There will be no after-school or evening activities on Friday for grades 9-12. Creeden said in a statement to the community that Superintendent of Schools Amy Creeden said in a statement to the community: "The high school closure is being implemented out of an abundance of caution an…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Bobcat Sighting Results In Police Response At School In Hudson Valley Bobcat Sighting Results In Police Response At School In Hudson Valley
Bobcat Sighting Results In Police Response At School In Hudson Valley A bobcat sighting reported by staff resulted in a police response at a school in the region. The incident happened in Northern Westchester County on Wednesday, Nov. 8 just before 3 p.m., when staff members at the Coman Hill Elementary School at 558 Bedford Rd. (Route 22) reported a possible bobcat that was seen behind the building, according to North Castle Police. Officers then responded to the school and checked the grounds and surrounding area for a bobcat. However, the animal was not spotted by authorities.  Police then stayed at the school to monitor the area during dismissal, au…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
News
School Swatting Attacks In Hudson Valley: Rep. Lawler Proposes Longer Prison Sentences School Swatting Attacks In Hudson Valley: Rep. Lawler Proposes Longer Prison Sentences
School Swatting Attacks In Hudson Valley: Rep. Lawler Proposes Longer Prison Sentences In response to a rise in school swatting attacks across the country, including in the Hudson Valley, US Rep. Mike Lawler is introducing legislation that would increase the prison term for those who threaten students.  Lawler, who represents New York's 17th congressional district which includes all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester counties, announced his proposal on Wednesday, Oct. 25.  The proposed legislation, called the Schools Want Accountability for Threats (SWAT) Act, would increase the penalty for a school swatting attack targeting a school t…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
News
Swastika Found Carved Into Table At Carmel High School Swastika Found Carved Into Table At Carmel High School
Swastika Found Carved Into Table At Carmel High School District officials are seeking information after a swastika was found carved into a table at a Hudson Valley high school.  The hate symbol was found at a school in Putnam County on Tuesday, Oct. 3, when the Carmel Board of Education was alerted that a swastika had been carved into the leg of a lab table at Carmel High School.  According to district officials, this most recent incident followed the discovery of a swastika and the words "Adolf Hitler" written on the same school's tennis courts in September.  "We, as the Board of Education, recognize that these are not isolated…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
News
Peekskill School District Receives Bomb Threat: No Threat Found After Search Peekskill School District Receives Bomb Threat: No Threat Found After Search
Peekskill School District Receives Bomb Threat: No Threat Found After Search New Update: Following a search of all Peekskill Central School District buildings by a Westchester County Police K9 Unit, no confirmed threat was found. School dismissals, sports, and other after-school events proceeded as normal, district officials announced. Original report: A school district in Northern Westchester is taking precautionary measures after receiving a bomb threat, officials said. The Peekskill City School District received a bomb threat over email just before 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 20, officials announced. In response, district officials contacted the city's poli…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Bullet Found On Hudson Valley School Bus Bullet Found On Hudson Valley School Bus
Bullet Found On Hudson Valley School Bus A bullet was found on a Hudson Valley school bus after students exited the vehicle. The incident occurred in Orange County in Washingtonville, a village in Blooming Grove, on Tuesday, May 16. According to Washingtonville Police Chief Brian Zaccaro, both the Washingtonville School District and the police department worked together to identify the student that was responsible for bringing the bullet onto the bus. No other bullets were found and no weapons were found on school property, Zaccaro said. A criminal investigation was conducted with the assistance of the state police and any poten…

SHARE

by Kathy Reakes
News
18-Year-Old Fatally Shot In Hudson Valley Was High School Student On Spring Break 18-Year-Old Fatally Shot In Hudson Valley Was High School Student On Spring Break
18-Year-Old Fatally Shot In Hudson Valley Was High School Student On Spring Break New update - Murder Of Teen In Westchester: 33-Year-Old Suspect Apprehended An 18-year-old who was fatally shot in Westchester was a high school student who had been on spring break, school officials said.  Tomani Turner, age 18, died on Thursday night, April 6 after he was shot twice in the chest in Mount Vernon on Garden Avenue just south of East 4th Street just after 12:30 p.m. earlier in the day, according to city officials.  Earlier Report - ID Released For 18-Year-Old Fatally Shot In Mount Vernon; Suspect On Loose Turner was a student at Mount Vernon High School …

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Violent Threat At School In Carmel Leads To Student's Arrest Violent Threat At School In Carmel Leads To Student's Arrest
Violent Threat At School In Carmel Leads To Student's Arrest Updated story: Person Accused Of Making Threat Against Current Student At High School In Hudson Valley Authorities are keeping close watch over a middle school in the Hudson Valley after a reported threat of violence that led to an arrest of a juvenile student. The threat was made in Putnam County at the George Fischer Middle School in Carmel around midnight on Thursday, March 23, according to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.  The incident caused the school to delay its opening by two hours and also prompted an investigation conducted by the Sheriff's Office.  One j…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
News
School District In Hudson Valley On Heightened Alert After Unspecified Threat School District In Hudson Valley On Heightened Alert After Unspecified Threat
School District In Hudson Valley On Heightened Alert After Unspecified Threat A Hudson Valley school district is on heightened alert after receiving information about a "non-specific" and out-of-town threat. Schools in the Orange County Valley Central School District in Montgomery will be on heightened alert on Friday, March 3, and have an increased police presence, according to Valley Central Superintendent Evette Avila. Avila said the threat, which was brought to their attention by a concerned parent, was aimed at New York schools.  The notice to parents.Valley Central School District "We take the safety of our students and staff with the utmost importance," A…

SHARE

by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
School Threat In Area Deemed Unfounded, Police Say School Threat In Area Deemed Unfounded, Police Say
School Threat In Area Deemed Unfounded, Police Say A threat against a Hudson Valley middle school caused an area-wide lockdown of schools and a large police response. The threat took place in Dutchess County on Friday, Feb. 24 at the Rombout Middle School in Beacon. According to Det. Sgt. Jason Johnson of the Beacon Police, the school received a call from an individual who made a specific threat. Department members immediately responded to secure Rombout Middle School as well as the other schools in the city and began coordinating with School District administration as well as the Town of Fishkill Police to ensure that all of the…

SHARE

by Kathy Reakes
Schools
Decade After Sandy Hook School Shooting, New Tech Gives Teachers, Students ‘Layer Of Security' Decade After Sandy Hook School Shooting, New Tech Gives Teachers, Students ‘Layer Of Security'
Decade After Sandy Hook School Shooting, New Tech Gives Teachers, Students ‘Layer Of Security' Gun control advocates will tell you that not much has changed since a 20-year-old gunman walked into a Connecticut elementary school and murdered 20 students and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown on Dec. 14, 2012. Since that day, another 279 people have died in 189 different shootings that have occurred at schools across the United States, BBC News reports. Among them are the 19 students and two teachers who were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in May 2022. What has changed, though, is the technology that’s available to schools to help keep students a…

SHARE

by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Gun, Loaded Magazine Found Buried At Area School: Police Gun, Loaded Magazine Found Buried At Area School: Police
Gun, Loaded Magazine Found Buried At Area School: Police Police found a handgun and a loaded magazine buried nearby an elementary school in Westchester County.  On Tuesday, Nov. 1 around 12:40 p.m., police responded to Daniel Webster Elementary School in New Rochelle at 95 Glenmore Dr. after school staff reported a partially buried firearm in a dirt area by a tree that could be seen through the schoolyard fence, according to New Rochelle Police.  When they arrived, police uncovered an unloaded 9mm semiautomatic handgun along with a fully loaded magazine next to it that had been buried in dirt and leaves, police said.  Ac…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Police Investigate Reported Firearm Threat At High School In Hudson Valley Police Investigate Reported Firearm Threat At High School In Hudson Valley
Police Investigate Reported Firearm Threat At High School In Hudson Valley Police said that "no credible life safety threat" was found after responding to an incident suspected of involving a firearm at a Westchester County high school.  On Friday, Oct. 14 at 12:30 p.m., Greenburgh Police responded to a dispute between two students at Woodlands High School in the Hartsdale section of the town after receiving an "alleged statement involving firearms," police said.  Upon arriving at the school, the threat was determined to be not credible, and the hold-in-place status put on the school was lifted, police said.  Police have also lifted the lockout sta…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
Schools
This Hudson Valley High School Ranks Among Top 20 Statewide, New Report Says This Hudson Valley High School Ranks Among Top 20 Statewide, New Report Says
This Hudson Valley High School Ranks Among Top 20 Statewide, New Report Says A high school in Westchester County is among the top 20 in New York, according to a new ranking from the school review site Niche.  Scarsdale Senior High School, in the Scarsdale Union Free School District, was ranked No. 13 out of 1,255 public high schools in the state with an overall grade of A+. It was also ranked No. 1 in best public high schools in Westchester County. Scores are based on a variety of school statistics like math and reading test scores, in addition to reviews from students and parents, according to Niche. Scarsdale High earned top marks in several categories, in…

SHARE

by Michael Mashburn
News
COVID-19: Health Dept. In Area To Distribute 5,600 Air Purifiers To Schools COVID-19: Health Dept. In Area To Distribute 5,600 Air Purifiers To Schools
Covid-19: Health Dept. In Area To Distribute 5,600 Air Purifiers To Schools Health officials in Westchester County are set to distribute thousands of air purifiers to area school districts this month in an effort to protect students, teachers, and staff from COVID-19. The Westchester County Department of Health will distribute more than 5,600 air purifiers to 31 school districts in October, county officials announced on Tuesday, Oct. 4. The health department purchased Fellowes AeraMax Pro AM3S PC Air Purifiers, which health officials reported are "proven to remove over 99.99% of COVID-19 particles from the air." The department used $5.2 million in federal fun…

SHARE

by Nicole Valinote
Police & Fire
Woman Found With Loaded Gun Near School In Hudson Valley Woman Found With Loaded Gun Near School In Hudson Valley
Woman Found With Loaded Gun Near School In Hudson Valley A Hudson Valley woman has been arrested for allegedly having a loaded gun on school grounds. Ulster County resident Sarah Schatzel, age 35, of Kingston, was arrested around 10 a.m., on Wednesday, July 6, during an investigation. During the investigation the department said there was a brief pursuit of Schatzel in which she ran onto the property of the Kingston Catholic School with the loaded gun, police said. After being caught, police recovered a loaded 9mm handgun and a substantial amount of crack cocaine from Schatzel, police added. She was charged with: Criminal possession of a weap…

SHARE

by Kathy Reakes
News
Bottles With Explosive-Making Materials Found Outside NY School Bottles With Explosive-Making Materials Found Outside NY School
Bottles With Explosive-Making Materials Found Outside NY School Several bottles containing explosive-making devices were discovered just outside a New York elementary school. Officers on Long Island responded to a call for a suspicious item in the rear parking lot of Levy Lakeside School in Merrick, located on Babylon Road at around 9:30 a.m. Friday, June 24. The multiple plastic bottles containing explosive-making materials, one of which contained BBs, said police.  The items were tested, made safe and then transported off school grounds, according to police.  Police conducted a further investigation at surrounding schools in the area …

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
News
Student Caught With Air Soft Gun At School In Area, Police Say Student Caught With Air Soft Gun At School In Area, Police Say
Student Caught With Air Soft Gun At School In Area, Police Say A male student in possession of an Airsoft-type gun was captured by police at a Hudson Valley school. The incident took place around 11:20 p.m., Thursday, June 9, at the Dutchess County BOCES school, in Hyde Park. Hyde Park police responded to the school located at 49 Boces Road after receiving a report of a male on school grounds who might be in possession of a gun, said Chief Robert Benson, of the Hyde Park Police. Officers from Hyde Park, the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office, and the state police responded to the school and were able to secure the student, Benson said. The student was …

SHARE

by Kathy Reakes
News
Threat ID'd That Caused Closure Of School District In Area Threat ID'd That Caused Closure Of School District In Area
Threat ID'd That Caused Closure Of School District In Area This story has been updated. Police have identified the juvenile who emailed a serious threat against a Hudson Valley elementary school. The threat was received in Orange County in the village of Montgomery on Monday, June 6. According to Montgomery Village Police Chief William Herlihy, the threat was made against Montgomery Elementary School. "The origin of the email has been identified and was made by a juvenile," the chief said.  Due to an ongoing investigation, the chief declined to say what was in the email.  All schools now have an "enhanced" police presence, t…

SHARE

by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Man Charged After Trying To Enter Elementary School In Region, Police Say Man Charged After Trying To Enter Elementary School In Region, Police Say
Man Charged After Trying To Enter Elementary School In Region, Police Say A man from out of state has been charged after police said he attempted to enter an elementary school in Fairfield County. Just after 1 p.m. on Friday, May 27, school administrators in Stamford from Davenport Elementary School on Newfield Avenue noticed a suspicious man on the school campus, and immediately initiated a lockdown, according to Captain Diedrich Hohn, Commander of Special Investigations for the Stamford PD. Stamford Police Units arrived within three minutes, and detained the man identified as Jamar Mikel Edwards, age 31. School administrators relayed that they o…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
News
Teen Arraigned, Placed On Home Confinement After Threatening Mass Shooting At NY HS Teen Arraigned, Placed On Home Confinement After Threatening Mass Shooting At NY HS
Teen Arraigned, Placed On Home Confinement After Threatening Mass Shooting At NY HS A teenager in New York has been arraigned after being arrested for allegedly threatening to commit a mass shooting at a local school, authorities announced. On Long Island, a 16-year-old student at Bellport High School in Suffolk County was arrested by police in his home on Thursday, May 26. Original story - Teen Charged After Threatening Mass Shooting At Bellport HS, DA Says Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said that the teen - whose name is not being released due to his age - created an online post threatening a massive shooting at his hometown school. Investigators…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Police Investigate After Student Brings BB Gun To Area Elementary School Police Investigate After Student Brings BB Gun To Area Elementary School
Police Investigate After Student Brings BB Gun To Area Elementary School At least one student is expected to face charges after causing alarm at a Westchester elementary school by bringing a BB gun to class days after the mass shooting in Texas. In Yonkers, an investigation was launched at the Cesar E. Chavez (formerly Cedar Place) Elementary School when a student brought the weapon inside the building on Thursday, May 26. According to a Yonkers Police Department spokesperson, officers have recovered the BB gun and the involved students were taken to the Community Affairs Division. Police said that they anticipate charging one or more students as juvenile deli…

SHARE

by Zak Failla