The following is a joint message from Santa Barbara Unified, Santa Barbara Police, and Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
An extraordinarily high number of social media-based threats have been reported across the nation since the middle of last week. Some such threats have been made to schools in the Santa Barbara Unified School District and other districts in the County. Our local law enforcement officers are thoroughly investigating these cases to keep our schools safe.
We understand that social media posts and rumors spread fear and take an emotional toll on members of our community. It is important for the School District and law enforcement to be able to assess these threats in real-time. This becomes a challenge when students see a perceived threat or suspicious activity online and repost the threat rather than report it.
District, Police, and Sheriff’s staff ask everyone to Report instead of Repost. Please share concerns about threats to law enforcement through official channels. SB Unified has a platform called CrisisGo that can be utilized to report any concern to District leaders immediately.
We want to share with you what we know and what our District and law enforcement partners are doing to keep our students, teachers, and staff safe.
First and foremost, your child’s safety and security are our number one concern. Over the past week, we told you about a series of investigations that have happened on our campuses.
Santa Barbara County school districts and local law enforcement agencies address such school threats with appropriate school-based and law enforcement responses that include immediate investigation, as well as counseling and mental health services.
Whether or not a threat is genuine or a hoax, there can and will be serious consequences for those making such threats. These may include:
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Criminal Charges (422 PC-Criminal Threats, 653.2(a) PC-Online Threats)
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School disciplinary actions, potentially including suspension or expulsion
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Long-Term Consequences: Making threats can affect a student’s future, including their ability to attend college, gain employment, or participate in other opportunities.
“In light of recent school violence threats, I want to assure the Santa Barbara community that we are taking these matters very seriously. The safety of our students and the staff at these schools is of the utmost importance. We are actively investigating each post and contacting each person who posted to determine the credibility of the threat. The information we know so far is that the post is non-specific and the identity of the individual who originally posted the threat is unknown.
The Santa Barbara Police Department will not tolerate any threats to the safety of our students and staff, and we will thoroughly investigate these matters. Those who are discovered sending threatening messages or reposting school violence messages with the intent to instill fear or cause panic could face criminal charges.
We encourage students, parents, and faculty to report these threats to the Santa Barbara Police Department. We have taken measures to ensure the safety of our students while they are attending school by increasing police presence throughout our schools within the City of Santa Barbara.” -Chief Kelly Gordon, Santa Barbara Police Department.
“Remember, when it comes to social media threats, report -- don’t repost. Share this information with law enforcement- don’t share in spreading fear. We will investigate every threat to determine if it is credible and take appropriate action to ensure the safety of our schools.’ – Sheriff Bill Brown, Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office.
“While we understand the fear and anxiety parents feel during these events, we need you to partner with us. We ask you to talk with your children about how the things they say and post online or re-post via social media or text messaging can impact others. It is no different than yelling “fire” or “bomb” in a movie theater. Saying or threatening violence that is not real will have severe consequences. Let them know to share with you and the adults at school instead of their friends” said Dr. Hilda Maldonado, Santa Barbara Unified Superintendent.
Working together as one community, we can all play a role in keeping our schools safe.
And as always, if you see something, say something. Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.