D-R Superintendent Affirms School Safety

Dighton-Rehoboth School Superintendent Bill Runey told parents about the steps being taken to make sure the schools remain safe. “Over the past few days, more than 15 school districts across the Commonwealth have been victims of a very disturbing hoax known as ‘Swatting,’ Runey wrote on February 16.    

Officials in Milton, Norton, Lexington, Norwood, Gloucester, Salem, Lowell, Leominster, and Lynn reported receiving threats Wednesday, less than 24 hours after at least a dozen other districts were targeted Tuesday. “For the second consecutive day, Massachusetts State Police units are responding to assist local police in multiple communities following bomb and shooting threats to schools,” state police said in a statement Tuesday. “Thus far every call has been determined to be a hoax.”

“Within our District, those who would be answering phones have been spoken to regarding what to do and what to ask - AND taking everything seriously,” Runey explained. “We will go into Hold and Secure immediately. We will then act accordingly to whatever information is given to us. Police and Emergency services will immediately be called. Upon their arrival, the building will be searched and the exterior checked.”

Swatting is described as the action of making a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to evoke a large response (often a SWAT team) to a particular address. In a statement, a spokesperson for FBI Boston said, “The FBI is aware of the numerous swatting incidents wherein a report of an active shooter at a school is made and is working alongside our law enforcement partners in identifying the source of the hoax threats...It is important to note that law enforcement is going to use all available resources to investigate a school threat until we determine whether it is real or not.”