False threats to schools taking up police resources
Sep 20, 2024, 11:00 AM | Updated: 11:29 am
Sandy police vehicles sit outside Jordan High School on Friday, Jan. 26, 2018, after an overnight threat of violence. Law enforcement and district officials, who searched the school and investigated the threat, believe that it is unfounded, but parents were given the choice to keep their children home from school. (Deseret News)
(Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Dealing with false threats against schools takes a toll according to police. Sgt. Spencer Cannon with the Utah County Sheriff’s Department said it takes up a lot of law enforcement resources to investigate and mitigate potential threats.
An online hoax targeted Utah schools this week causing panic among parents and students.
“But if it turns out that major incident was just a hoax, that’s pretty frustrating,” said Cannon. “It could well have put someone’s life at risk because law enforcement was unable to respond as quickly as they might otherwise …”
Because there is no concrete solution to prevent hoaxes, Cannon hopes consequences will make people think twice about putting out false threats.
” They’re going to go to jail for something like that,” he said.
According to Cannon, call the police if you see a threat. However, people can help prevent the spread of misinformation by not reposting on social media.
The threat that impacted many Utah schools on Wednesday originated in another state.
Britt Johnson is a reporter and anchor for KSL NewsRadio.
Related reading:
- Lawmaker wants to make school hoax threats a felony
- Ogden Police using live video feeds to aid in situations like hoax lockdown
- FBI arrests minor for fake social media bomb threat at SLC Airport
