Tag Archives: lockdown

Unsung Heroes #260

Posted on October 26, 2022 | 5 comments

Last Friday was tough.

Phone calls from a demented human being to police departments around the state — while many were honoring 2 slain officers at a Rentschler Field ceremony — forced high-level security measures.

At Staples High School, nearly 2,000 students and scores of staff members went into lockdown. At nearby Bedford Middle School, a “shelter in place” order was given.

Nearly an hour after Staples High School went into lockdown Friday morning, an ambulance and police car sat outside the building. (Photo/Jim Honeycutt)

Officials — rightly — erred on the side of caution. Before the lockdown was lifted, armed officers checked every room.

With police weapons visible to students and staff, superintendent of school Thomas Scarice asked teachers were to focus the rest of the day on the social/emotional needs of students. Emotional support was available for anyone who needed it.

Welcome to America, 2022.

That afternoon, longtime Westporter (and Staples High School graduate) Stacie Curran wrote:

“Once again (and sadly), please publicly recognize all of our teachers, staff, administrators, and our incredible police force for their attention, their dedication, their care and brave protection our children through this lockdown.”

Stacie is right. Scarice, his staff, and administrators at Staples and Bedford acted swiftly and decisively. Police officers were on the scene quickly. Working with Staples’ school resource officer, they believed soon that the call was a hoax.

Still, they made absolutely certain that the school was safe. Meanwhile, Westport’s Emergency Medical Services were on hand, standing by if needed.

The response and collaboration of all involved was impressive. As Stacie notes, we owe thanks to all of Friday’s Unsung Heroes, for keeping our community secure.

(To nominate an Unsung Hero, email 06880blog@gmail.com)

(“06880 celebrates an Unsung Hero every Wednesday. To help support this and all other featus, please click here.)

5 Comments

Posted in Education, Police, Staples HS, Unsung Heroes

Tagged lockdown, Superintendent of School Thomas Scarice, Westport Police Department, Westport Public Schools

Westport Lockdown: Part Of Nationwide Rise In Fake Threats

Posted on October 21, 2022 | 4 comments

In the aftermath of this morning’s lockdown at Staples High School, and a “shelter in place” order at Bedford Middle School, superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice provided this information:

This morning the Westport Police received a phone call indicating a potential threat at Staples High School. Although we have since learned that multiple schools across the state received the same threat, at the time, the response protocol warranted a thorough onsite evaluation of Staples, including an armed room by room threat assessment.

The incident began at 9:10 a.m. Westport’s Emergency Communications Center received a call from a person reporting an active shooter inside Staples High School.

The patrol and detective divisions as well as officers in administrative rolls immediately went to the school. As officers were responding they contacted the School Resource Officer, who said there was no indication of a problem at the location.

Despite the possibility of a hoax, the high school was placed on lockdown. Police proceeded as if there was an active threat.

Because police weapons were visible to students and staff, teachers were asked to focus on the social/emotional needs of students for the rest of the day. Emotional support was available for anyone who needed it.

Scarice added, “While this evaluation was conducted, all of the other schools in Westport were supported with an onsite police presence and put into place appropriate safety protocols.

“We are grateful for the swift response of our police department and the communication between the schools and WPD in handling this matter.

Nearly an hour after Staples High School went into lockdown this morning, an ambulance and police car sat outside the building. (Photo/Jim Honeycutt)

Connecticut is not the only state targeted for fake threats.

According to a Washington Post article last month — sent today to “06880” by reader Tracy Porosoff — “a troubling scenario” is happening in schools across the country. The story begins:

A call comes in about a shooting at the school. Someone has a gun. Police respond, only to discover the report was a hoax.

More than a dozen schools in Minnesota were targeted with “swatting” incidents, reports of a false shooter or mass-casualty event. Threats in Denver forced the city to shut down all 25 of its public library branches, and an area high school to cancel classes Wednesday amid a surge of hoaxes reported at schools across the state. A Texas teen was arrested for calling in a fake threat to a campus as a “joke,” prompting a warning from Fort Worth police against school hoaxes.

The calls are part of a trend that is disrupting school days, prompting lockdowns and further traumatizing communities already on edge. Although these threats are fake, the menace of real violence looms just months after a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at a Uvalde, Tex., elementary school…

Schools in 14 states — Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia — have reported swatting incidents since Sept. 13, according to the national group of school resource officers.

Click here for the full Washington Post story.

4 Comments

Posted in Education, Media, Police, Staples HS

Tagged Bedford Middle School, lockdown, Superintendent of School Thomas Scarice, swatting, Washington Post, Westport Police Department

Staples, Bedford “Shelter In Place” Lifted

Posted on May 19, 2022 | 1 comment

The shelter-in-place order for both Staples High School and Bedford Middle School has been lifted.

Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice said moments ago: “the matter is resolved. A follow up message is forthcoming.”

Twenty minutes earlier, he wrote:

“I would like to provide an immediate update to the community. Immediately after calling for a shelter in place, the Westport Police Department swiftly dispatched all resources to the Staples/Bedford campus, while also maintaining the capacity to respond to all schools if necessary.

“I was personally assured of this by our Police Chief. Police resources are all over our campus and school buildings. We will remain in a shelter in place until there is final resolution established in collaboration with the Westport Police Department.”

Scarice’s initial email, shortly after 10 a.m., said:

“Moments ago, as a precaution, and in collaboration with the Westport Police Department, the school district put Staples high school in Bedford middle school in a shelter in place. A report came to the districts attention of a potential person on campus that warranted this response. All students and staff are secure and we will report back to the community when the matter is completely resolved.”

No further details have been released.