threat locks down NY schools

[disneygals]

Thursday, January 23, 2003

Threat locks down schools

Schools across the area went into ``lockdown'' mode Thursday morning after New York State Police received an anonymous letter that a shooting could occur at school today somewhere in the state, officials said.
'`You can't take any chances when you get something like this,'' said Lt. Gary Bashor of the Dutch ess County Sheriff's Office.

As a precaution, district officials locked exterior doors to buildings and kept alert for strangers.

``Police didn't believe it was a credible threat,'' said Julie Amodeo, superintendent of Marlboro school district. ``We will monitor it throughout the day.''
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Above is from the Poughkeepsie Journal. I have 2 kids home sick today and 1 fifth-grader at school. She called me at lunch as she was checking if she was going to a friend's house or not. She was really scared. Who needs this ^%%*%$ at ten years old???
or 42 for that matter.


Vivienne
mom to 3 gals

 

[nativetxn]

{{{HUGS}}} sweetie. I hope it isn't a serious threat. It's sad that our children have to be afraid at school.

Katholyn

 

[CookieGVB]

Ugh! Those poor kids.

 

[JAP]

 

[grinningghost]

Now I'm nervous. DD gets home about 2:45. I'll be looking for her. Hopefully just a hoax and all NY school kids are safe.

 

[Robinrs]

When I went to school in NY all of the doors were locked and security was very tight! There was only one door to enter and exit and strangers were not allowed.

But then again, that was in Brooklyn, where it was NEVER safe!

 

[Tartan Tigger]

That's scary

In our schools all doors are locked and the playgounds are surrounded with high perimeter fences. Anyone visiting the school has to enter via the main entrance. These security measures were introduced after the Dunblane massacre in 1996.

 

[FergieTCat]

Robin --

Is your alma mater Thomas Jefferson High School?

 

[Saffron]

Awwww. That is so scary for her. What is wrong with people that they would threaten something like this. I'm sorry it's happening to you and your family. I pray all are safe today.

 

[Tony-NJ]

 

[disneygals]

Thanks for the kind words...received a note from the school district and there was nothing to report, thankfully.

We do have "regular" security, one entrance, you have to sign in the office etc.

I just dread trying to convince my children that they're safe in this screwy world.


Vivienne

 

[Helopoh]

Disneygal This is the first I am hearing of this and I am just above you in Kingston. I had no luck getting through to the Board of Education today. Busy lines. I wonder if the threat was taken seriously up here as well. I have been trying to call the BOE all day to get a correct list of DS's absences. I am glad the day was uneventful but how horrible that is.

 

[Regina]

I found out about this when DD got home from school. I just looked at the Poughkeepsie Journal again, and I still don't see where it's mentioned.

DD goes to a Catholic High. They canceled all of their after school activities and told the kids to go directly home. She said that the public highs were on lockdown.

Much as I'd love to believe that the schools are safe, it's sad to say that the main reason that we chose to send our kids to the Catholic high is because of violence at our local high school.

 

[disneygals]

From Richard Powell, acting superintendent of schools

At approximately 10:58 this morning, the school district received
notification from both the NYS Police and the Dutchess County BOCES
District Superintendent’s Office as follows:

“An anonymous letter was received by the NYS Police Field Command which
made reference to a threatened shooting to take place at an unidentified
school in New York State on this date at 11:18a.m.”

All district buildings were put into an emergency lockdown mode with
travel within and into the buildings being restricted. The State Police
and other local police agencies assisted by positioning cars at the
entrance to our campuses as an added safety precaution to further limit
access to our buildings.

Based upon our on-going contact with our law enforcement agencies this
heightened mode was relaxed at 12:30p.m. in all schools. All after
school activities will be held as scheduled.

No situations or disturbances were reported in any of the district’s
schools.

==========================================

The above is from Wappingers school district. I am on their auto e-mail for cancellations, etc. I found out because a friend of mine was meeting her daughter for lunch at another elem. school and she called to let me know. I found the original that I posted at the journal's website. Today's paper was printed last night. Maybe they'll have more details tomorrow.

I don't know if a notice went home with the kid's cause my daughter is over a friend's house. I'm so glad my 1st and 3rd graders are home sick

Vivienne

 

[grinningghost]

Just heard on our local news that it was a "Columbine" type threat and it was to all schools in the state of New York. No incidents were reported - thankfully.

 

[Regina]

Yep, I'm in the Wappingers District too, but, as I said, I send/sent my three to OLL because of the stabbing that took place at John Jay on the first day of school in '95. My child no longer felt safe going to Jay. We had him in OLL in less than a week, and this was when they were still located on Academy St. (They moved to their new location the following year.)

I learned a sad lesson back then, no school is immune from violence. The best thing that you can do is listen to your child. Today's bully isn't shooting spitballs, he's carrying weapons.

What a world we have to prepare our kids for.

 

[snoopy]

Having went through school lockdown for a very long three weeks when the sniper madmen were here in the D.C. area, I can certainly sympathize with you and your kids.

You are so right, who needs this at 10 years old? So sad for our kids.

 

[Briar Rose 7457]

we got a letter home from school last night. they learned of the threat at 10:30 yesterday morning. the school personnel were advised to be extra vigilant, but nothing else was done. in a neighboring school district they went into lockdown.