Greenfield Police Department Capt. Chuck McMichael
Greenfield-Central Schools Superintendent Harold Olin
GREENFIELD — Several days after officials from the Greenfield Police Department were made aware of a social media threat to a county school by officials from the FBI, local authorities including law enforcement and school officials say they are on top of the situation.
The threat was made toward Weston Elementary School, 140 Polk St on Monday morning. While students are still on summer break, classes are gearing up to start within the next few days countywide on Tuesday, Aug. 2 when Greenfield-Central and Southern Hancock schools open for the new year.
Greenfield Police Department, deputy chief and public information officer Capt. Chuck McMichael said detectives are continuing their investigation into two 14-year-old male juveniles in connection with the social media threat after federal officials made them aware of a post the two were a part of.
McMichael said, as of right now, one of the juveniles has been detained for his role in this incident with criminal charges pending. Officials from the Hancock County Prosecutors’ office will determine what charges will be filed, based on probable cause, for both juveniles.
“We continue to work with Greenfield-Central Schools to ensure the safety and security of all of our community schools,” McMichael said. “Policies and procedures are in place for incidents like this one.”
McMichael noted school resource officers (SROs) will be in the schools daily and the GPD ,along with officials from the Greenfield-Central Community School Corporation, take all threats seriously while working to assure the safety and security of staff and students.
“While safety measures and plans are not fully shared with the public for security reasons, be assured they are in place and being followed in this incident,” McMichael said.
Superintendent Harold Olin and Weston Elementary school principal Meg Welch released a letter to family members late Tuesday, July 19 and noted the threat was made toward Weston Elementary.
“Our partners in law enforcement have identified the individuals responsible for the post, and one of those individuals has been detained,” the letter stated. “Because the individuals are juveniles, information regarding their identity cannot be shared.”
Some parents have expressed concern and doubt on social media, some even expressing a desire to keep their children out of school.
District officials wanted parents to know, due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, many details cannot be shared but that they understand threats regarding school safety are concerning to families, staff and the community.
“Greenfield-Central Schools continues to work in partnership with Greenfield Police Department and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department to monitor and respond to threats of this nature,” officials said in the letter.
District officials plan to remain vigilant and to follow the procedures in their safety plan to ensure the safety of students and staff. District officials want families to know heading into the school year they’ll be taking all threats seriously, and they know the community does too.
“The safety of our schools is the responsibility of our staff, our students, our families, and our greater community,” the letter said. “If at any time you see or hear something concerning school safety, please reach out to the building principal or any community law enforcement agent.”
Officials want to remind everyone if they see something to say something and that includes on social media. If anyone sees a post of a threatening nature, officials say please don’t like, share, or repost the material. They want you to contact a law enforcement agency as soon as possible or even call 911.
This fall, Greenfield-Central replaced their previous anonymous reporting system with the STOPit app. The STOPit app is an online reporting tool which can be used by students, families and the community at large to report incidents to school contacts, including law enforcement, anonymously. Families can bookmark the site now, although the site will not be live until the first day of school, (https://appweb.stopitsolutions.com/directory).
