Farris: School Threats Pose Dangers

Threatening violence at a school may seem like a prank but it has severe consequences for students and school communities.

Both Putnam and White County Schools have started the school year with violence threats. Putnam County Sheriff Eddie Farris said many students make these threats with no intention to go through with them and claim it was a joke. Farris said students fail to understand that school officials and law enforcement have to treat every single threat like it is serious.

“If we didn’t act promptly and correctly and take action against these kind of false accusations then certainly the students and even the parents might get a sense that the school system (was) not safe and the schools aren’t safe,” Farris said. “Which might incur someone else bringing a weapon just to try to protect theirselves.”

Farris said students that make these threats will have it reflected on their juvenile record. He said even after they enter adulthood those students can have issues getting into some colleges and joining certain branches of law enforcement or the military.

“There’s a good chance that it won’t hurt you later on,” Farris said. “But the employer certainly can ask those questions and if you’re going to be truthful you’ll have to answer them.”

Farris said parents need to talk with their children about the consequences their words can have and how important it is for everyone to take school safety seriously.

“When we hear those words as, obviously as a teacher, administration, or specifically an SRO deputy then we’re following up on that and we’re running that threat down,” Farris said. “Sometimes we’re at house at twelve o’clock at night talking to the parents and making sure the students (were) not planning to do something like and also making sure the students don’t have access to actually bring a firearm or some type of other weapon to school.”

Farris said threats like these also damage the educational and secure environment that a school should provide for all of its students.

“The schools certainly should be an environment that one can go have a good time and have camaraderie and create a good learning environment,” Farris said. “So we certainly are going to do our part as law enforcement to make sure that happens.”