NE Valley Times

Threats to cause violence on school campuses via social media continue to be a prolific problem throughout the state and the nation. Last week and over the weekend, local schools and law enforcement agencies have been inundated with reports of social media posts indicating possible threats. Between the valley and the Tucson areas, over one hundred threats have been reported to the police.

Scottsdale Police investigators work closely with School Resource Officers, Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) staff, and other police agencies to address these threats. The Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center (ACTIC) is working on compiling the various threats, as many of them across the country are using the same verbiage and photos but with updated school names. Some of these threats recently impacted schools in Scottsdale. These threats cause genuine concern for students and faculty, as well as distract from other law enforcement investigations and education efforts.

Scottsdale PD is committed to working with SUSD staff to ensure the safety of students and faculty members. "We treat each threat seriously and investigate it immediately to check its validity," stated a spokesperson for Scottsdale PD. "We work with the schools to ensure security measures are in place while we investigate the threat." So far this school year, none of the threats have been valid for schools in Scottsdale. As stated above, many of these threats originate outside SUSD schools, Scottsdale, and even Arizona.

"Keeping students and our community safe is a top priority," emphasized another official. "We want anyone who sees a social media threat to a school or any other location to feel empowered to report it to law enforcement or school staff immediately." They added that sharing is not equivalent to reporting and can cause unnecessary delays. "If you see something, please say something right away." Scottsdale PD and SUSD staff will take the information and act accordingly to ensure the safety of students and community members. Those who participate in making social media threats could be subject to arrest and criminal prosecution.

For emergencies, dial 911. The Scottsdale Police non-emergency number is 480-312-5000.