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PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) — A proliferation of threats at schools across the state has officials working with police to determine best responses and prevention techniques.
Kentucky Center for School Safety Director Jon Akers told The Paducah Sun (http://bit.ly/1n0azDa) that there have been more than 50 threats since Oct. 6, a day after Eastern Kentucky University issued a public safety alert because officials found menacing graffiti in a bathroom threatening to "kill all." Classes were eventually canceled, but resumed the following week without incident.
Akers said the volume of threats in the fall is the most he's seen in the decade he's served as director of the safety center.
He said it appears that all threats have been made by students and most have been near planned breaks or holidays. According to Akers, the responses have varied from lockdowns to dismissing classes because each threat and each district is different.
The safety center is working with police to offer training sessions for education officials across the state.
"People are asking, how's it ever going to be stopped?" Akers said. "My response to that is, once you catch someone like that, really consider prosecution to the fullest extent of the law. We don't want this to become the new normal."
In Kentucky, making a threat against a school or students is a felony offense.
In addition to criminal charges, Akers said schools have the option to sue those who make threats for restitution.
Larry Zacheretti, security supervisor for McCracken County Schools, said serious consequences await anyone who makes a threat against a school.
"We've been very fortunate this year that we haven't had any threats at all, and I like to attribute that to the fact that we take them seriously and have pressed charges in the past, and we advertise that fact," Zacheretti said.
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Information from: The Paducah Sun, http://www.paducahsun.com
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