MESA, Ariz. — Valley schools have been plagued by a wave of threats over the last few weeks. But parents at one district were stunned to learn just how bad the problem had become.
During Mesa Public Schools' most recent governing board meeting, officials announced that 24 schools have received threats since last week. Some schools received multiple threats in one day, multiple times.
The board then announced that 12 students, including an 11-year-old, are facing charges because of these threats.
The East Valley campus was placed under lockdown protocols after Mesa police received a report about a firearm. Officers searched the campus and no gun was found, according to the school district.
Sergeant Chuck Lines with the Mesa Police Department spoke about these situations to the board and concerned parents Tuesday night. He said most of the threats are reported by students and are typically verbal with others coming through next messages or social media.
“Whether they were joking when they were making the comment it’s taken very seriously," Lines said.
Recently, MPS started implementing additional security measures to ensure student and staff safety. They've introduced weapon detection systems at the district's high schools and started implementing them at middle schools. There are also about 3,000 security cameras all across the district.
The changes have brought some relief to parents.
"In light of the past events, I'm thankful for the systems put in place, " said one parent.
The sergeant said these incidents are creating a real strain on school and police resources, but each threat is taken seriously.
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