EL PASO, TX—In an effort to handle the alarming surge in social media threats directed in the direction of El Paso colleges, legislation enforcement and prosecutorial businesses got here collectively to indicate the protection of El Paso’s youngsters is paramount and threats directed in the direction of El Paso colleges is not going to be tolerated.
In 2022, there have been virtually 6,000 faculty threats reported to the FBI, which is a 60% enhance from 2021. Throughout El Paso, legislation enforcement businesses are diverting assets to handle a minimal of three threats a day from every faculty throughout area 19 faculty districts.
“Collaboration and cooperation amongst all of our legislation enforcement companions is the important thing to holding our college students secure and thriving in our group,” stated El Paso Impartial College District Chief of Police Manuel Chavira. “Familiarity in our communications and consistency in our legislation enforcement responses ensures effectivity and effectiveness in all operational actions.”
“Any threats made in the direction of colleges, whether or not on-line, over the telephone or in individual, might be instantly investigated,” stated El Paso Police Division Interim Police Chief Peter Pacillas. “These faculty threats usually start as hoaxes on social media, however their affect is much from a joke. When valuable assets are diverted from real emergencies to take care of false alarms, lives are put in danger. Threatening a faculty carries extreme penalties—each for the protection of our youngsters and their households.”
“The District Legal professional’s Workplace takes violence in our colleges, or the specter of violence, very severely and is dedicated to prosecuting these concerned with extreme prejudice,” stated El Paso County District Legal professional Invoice Hicks. “If an individual acts out their menace and takes a firearm to a college it’s a third Diploma Felony offense with attainable punishment of as much as 10 years in a jail facility. Our colleges need to be and might be a secure place for all of our youngsters and younger individuals to check and study.”
“As a group we have to guarantee our youngsters really feel secure of their colleges and remind those that threaten our youngsters legislation enforcement will discover you and convey you to justice,” stated FBI El Paso Particular Agent in Cost Jeffrey R. Downey. “As a mother or father of college age youngsters, I acknowledge the significance for us all to stay vigilant. We have to discuss with our youngsters about what’s going on in school and guarantee we report any threats or security considerations to legislation enforcement and faculty officers instantly.”
“These initiatives, and the united partnerships of legislation enforcement officers on the native and federal ranges, are extremely vital to making sure communities throughout the nation are saved secure,” stated El Paso Chief Assistant U.S. Legal professional Jose Luis Gonzalez of the Western District of Texas. “We as legislation enforcement officers are certainly not the one ones united right this moment. I belief that I communicate for all of us after I say this nation is fed up with violence in our colleges, and we is not going to tolerate threats towards them. Collectively, we are able to create a secure and peaceable studying atmosphere for everybody.”
Any member of the group can report threats to legislation enforcement in some ways. If there may be a right away menace to life, please name 911. All different ideas may be reported to your most well-liked legislation enforcement company. The Metropolis of El Paso has a number of strategies established and are monitored 24/7 by legislation enforcement personnel: (915) 832-4400 or textual content 847-411 with “EPPD after which tip”. You may also obtain the “El Paso PD” app to textual content ideas and obtain alerts. The FBI may also obtain ideas at ideas.fbi.gov or at (915) 832-5000.
The press convention was held on the Metropolis of El Paso’s Emergency Operations Middle/911 Name Middle positioned at 6055 Threadgill Ave.
The multi-agency press convention concerned United States Legal professional Workplace Western District of Texas (USAO-WDTX) Jose Luis Gonzalez, the Federal Bureau of Investigation El Paso Subject Workplace (FBI), Texas Division of Public Security-West Texas Area (TXDPS), El Paso County District Legal professional Invoice Hicks, El Paso County Legal professional’s Workplace, El Paso Police Division (EPPD), El Paso County Sheriff’s Workplace (EPCSO), El Paso County Constable-Precinct 1, Horizon Metropolis Police Division (HCPD), Socorro Police Division (SPD), Anthony Police Division, El Paso Workplace of Emergency Administration (EP-OEM), El Paso Impartial College District Police Division, Canutillo Impartial College District Police Division, Ysleta Impartial College District Police Division, and the Socorro Impartial College District-Emergency Operations Program (SISD-EOP).
In attendance from every company was: EPISD Police Chief Handbook Chavira, EPPD Interim Police Chief Peter Pacillas, El Paso County District Legal professional Invoice Hicks, FBI Particular Agent in Cost Jeffrey R. Downey, USAO-WDTX Metropolis Chief Jose Luis Gonzalez, El Paso County Legal professional-Juvenile Trial Workforce Chief Emily Dawson, TXDPS Regional Director-West Texas Area Jose Sanchez, EPCSO Commander Ryan Urrutia, El Paso County Constable-Precinct 1 Oscar Ugarte, HCPD Police Chief Marco Vargas, Anthony Police Division Lieutenant Oswaldo Gomez, Socorro Police Division Officer Sophia Rivera, El Paso Group School Police Chief Jose Rameriz, Ysleta Impartial College District Safety/Police Division Sergeant R. Lozano, and Socorro Impartial College District Police Chief George Johnson.
