Reward offered for bomb hoaxer
|
|
November 6, 2012 |
Just one day after law enforcement and emergency
responders scrambled to respond to a bomb
threat, this one at the Bonners Ferry Middle
School just after 1 p.m., another note
threatening a bomb in a local school was found.
It's the third time they've had to run through
the drill in three weeks, and not only emergency
personnel and school staff are fed up, so are
most in the community.
So much so that a $1,000 reward is being offered
for information leading to the arrest and
conviction of the culprit, presumably a student.
"I think that will be a big help in convincing
someone who knows something to come forward and
do the right thing," said Incident Commander Bob
Graham. "Surely someone knows besides the person
doing this, and we need to put a stop to this.
It's expensive and it's disruptive, not only to
the emergency personnel, but to teachers,
parents and students."
According to Graham, the investigation that has
been ongoing since the first threat this year on
October 23 is progressing, and the reward might
be the incentive needed to close the case and
prosecute the perpetrator.
Today's threat, Graham said, was scrawled in
pencil on a bathroom wall, "bomb in school."
Just this morning he met with police, sheriff's
deputies and school administrators to discuss
what steps could be taken to end these hoaxes,
and the school board will be asked to give the
superintendent Dick Conley more leeway in both
supervising students and making up for time lost
due to the disruptions, possibly on weekends.
The students, Graham said, have been made aware
of the severity of making false bomb threats;
shortly after the first one a mandatory student
assembly was held and they were told of state
and federal statutes and penalties, along with
the potential that the hoaxes could be
prosecuted as an act of terrorism, upping the
stakes.
Parents are being encouraged to discuss these
threats, and how it's okay to come forward with
information when it will end a practice that's
costing everyone in the community, and end the
fear that the act instills in students.
If you have information, do the right thing and
call the sheriff's office, (208) 267-3151,
extension 0, or the Bonners Ferry Police
Department, (208) 267-2412. The community will
be grateful.
|
|
Questions or comments about this
article?
Click here to e-mail! |
|
|
|
|
