SCOTTSDALE, AZ — School district officials and police in Scottsdale are trying to tackle school threats seen all around the Valley and nationwide.
On Monday, leaders sat down with parents in a town hall to discuss the uptick in recent incidents. The meeting was held at Chaparral High School, where just last week students and families experienced one of those 911 swatting calls.
“What we’ve seen really since the most recent mass shooting at a school in Georgia, we really have seen the numbers go through the roof,” said Chief Jeff Walther with the Scottsdale Police Department.
Phoenix Police Department officials say they have had 79 school threats this month alone. Surrounding cities are facing similar calls and hoaxes.
In the Chaparral High incident, someone called 911 and reported they had multiple hostages in the bathroom. That call forced the school to go into lockdown and a large police response. In the end, no threat was ever found.
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One mother at the meeting said her child just started 9th grade.
“This is the very first time that I got a message like that, the very first time. So I was nervous but I kept my cool and I said 'OK let me just take it easy, pray, let’s see what’s going on, let me go to the school,'” said Irma Millwood, a parent at Chaparral High School.
Officials say the internet and social media are playing a role in how easy it is to post and repost threats. Sometimes, kids dare each other to do these types of threats.
Police could not say whether this is a coordinated effort to instill fear. They spent most of their time trying to reassure parent they are prepared for anything.
“If you see a concerning or threatening social media post, report it to school administration and law enforcement. But don’t repost and don’t reshare. So report don’t repost,” said Scottsdale Unified School District Superintendent Scott Menzel.
School district officials say they investigate each and every threat with law enforcement. The goal is to inform parents as soon as possible of any threats.
For now, families say they can only hope for the best.
“A lot more confident now after the meeting and after the information that we had from the real people that is handling the security,” said Millwood.
