EDITORIAL

Response to threat shows character of communities

Posted 10/14/14

It’s now been nearly a week since word first broke of a threat made against elementary schools in Warwick, Cranston and Johnston.

The response to the threat – which came in a handwritten, …

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EDITORIAL

Response to threat shows character of communities

Posted

It’s now been nearly a week since word first broke of a threat made against elementary schools in Warwick, Cranston and Johnston.

The response to the threat – which came in a handwritten, one-page note mailed to Johnston Police, and which specifically mentioned beheading – was swift. The decision was made to post officers outside schools in all three communities for the remainder of the week, and the assistance of state and federal authorities was sought as mayors, school administrators and local law enforcement coordinated their efforts.

Certainly, it is better to be safe than sorry in such a scenario. Americans have in recent years seen far too many episodes of school violence – from the massacre at Columbine to the horrors at Newtown – to take any chances when such a threat is made. In the wake of the recent threat, school administrators also pointed to the added safety training and procedures that have been instituted locally to prepare for the worst.

Many parents, understandably, also elected to take no chances. Attendance rates plummeted across all grade levels in all three communities, most sharply last Wednesday before rebounding on Thursday and Friday.

Following the Columbus Day holiday, the three communities were set to continue an elevated police presence at schools, albeit to different degrees. Students were again fully expected to be in class after varying periods of excused absence.

Law enforcement officials clearly now believe the threat, while serious, was never imminent. Based on what information has been made available, the letter seems likely to have been the work of a troubled individual influenced by news from the Middle East, or simply someone despicable enough to derive enjoyment from causing such an emotionally-charged disruption.

There are reasonable questions to consider as we reflect on this episode. There are real costs associated with the local response, and not just in dollars spent on added police details. Students have lost classroom time. Parents and guardians had to scramble to make arrangements for the care of children kept at home. Families and loved ones found themselves seeking to comfort shaken youngsters and attempting to explain what precisely was happening.

For now, though, the best way we can respond is to thank those who work to keep us safe and to continue leading our lives. The world is often dangerous, and our times have introduced us to many new and uncertain threats. What makes us strong is our collective unwillingness to be bowed by those who would do us harm or cause disorder and our resolve to continue moving forward. Let us continue to embrace, and exemplify, that strength.

Comments

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  • davebarry109

    If you kept your little home due to this threat, you are part of the problem. We are Americans. Don't let these fools make you a fool.

    Tuesday, October 14, 2014 Report this

  • Justanidiot

    Great job on monitoring the schools, but why was this threat more credible than any other threat?

    The totalitarian state we are slipping into releases information like they were teenage girls giving birth in a back alley. Stop patting us on the heads and telling us it is for our own good and we really don't need to know more.

    Thursday, October 16, 2014 Report this