Charges laid over social media threats
Administrator | Apr 29, 2019 | Comments 0
A 14-year-old male is charge charged with uttering threats – cause death or bodily harm following a social media post resulting in a ‘hold and secure’ at Prince Edward Collegiate Institute Monday morning.
Officers from Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Prince Edward County detachment responded April 29 to a report of a concerning social media post that caused the Prince Edward Colligate Institute to take precautionary measures and temporarily go into a “hold and secure” response.
Morning drop off was monitored by school staff and police while students entered the school. The morning went without incident and the school removed the order a short time later.
Police later arrested and charged the male from Hallowell with Criminal Code of Canada section 264.1(1) uttering threats – cause death or bodily harm. The youth is to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Picton on May 13, 2019 to answer to the charge.
Constable Patrick Menard, Community Safety Officer, said a “hold and secure” is a response to a threat or incident in the general vicinity of a school, but not on, or very near to school property.
“School life continues as normal inside the school; however, as a precautionary measure, outer doors are locked and no one enters or leaves the building.”
A “lockdown” he said, is used in a serious emergency situation where the threat is inside a school, on or very near to school property.
“A lockdown minimizes access and visibility in an effort to shelter students, staff and visitors in secure locations. Similar to a hold and secure, all outer doors are locked; however a lockdown requires that all students be kept in classrooms or other designated locations and that inner doors also be locked where possible. Entry to, and exit from, the building is restricted to emergency services personnel only.”
Filed Under: Local News
About the Author: