Recently schools in the Stockton and Tracy area along with schools around the country have seen an increase of violent threats in recent weeks. On Sept. 17, the Stockton Police Department issued a Facebook statement related to the threats, which seemed to come to a point that day.
“All potential threats have been thoroughly investigated, with most being general and not targeting any specific school,” the statement said.
The use of social media is two sides of the same coin, it can be used to spread misinformation and threats that can cause unnecessary panic, while also bringing awareness and correct information at the same time. While Stockton Police and local districts posted statements related to the threats, students at Lodi High School reposted screenshots of threats urging their classmates not to go to school.
Stockton Police noted it was “working closely with local authorities to address these threats” and said that Delta College police, Stockton Unified and Lincoln Unified had “heightened their presence at schools to ensure safety.”
“We take these threats very seriously and the safety of the public is our utmost priority,” the statement said.“Whenever threats like these are presented, we work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to determine the validity of those threats. In the case of the threats made yesterday, Delta College, nor the Middle College High School (MCHS) program were listed. Although there were no threats made toward the MCHS program, we had conversations with their leadership and Delta College’s administration, to ensure that we were on the same page with response and prevention,” said Sgt. James Bock of Delta College Campus Police in an email interview on how Delta College police investigates violent threats.
Bock explained what a “heightened presence” at Delta looks like.
“For us, heightened presence ranges from calling in more officers, to increasing foot patrols, and/or altering the manner in which we allocate patrol. As mentioned previously, if there would have been an actual and verified threat against the District, that heightened presence could also include mutual aid assistance from our neighboring police agencies,” he said.
Threats against a school or public place in California is a felony, even if it is a joke or hoax. Stockton Police Department’s Facebook statement posted Monday Sept. 17 said a 16-year old student of the Lincoln Unified School District had posted threats on social media.
“It’s crucial for parents and students to realize that making threats can lead to disciplinary action at their school, including potential legal consequences,” the statement said.
Credible threats are vanishingly rare at Delta, according to Bock.
“I have worked for the District Police Department for 28 years. In that time, I am hard-pressed to recall even a handful of incidents that were determined to be credible violent threats. The overwhelming majority of these incidents are similar to those that made headlines nationally yesterday. While there is no protective forcefield around Delta College, we take great pride in maintaining an extremely safe environment, with incredibly low crime statistics, where our students can thrive,” said Bock.
