Marblehead officials put the town on notice Wednesday afternoon, following a recent pattern of hoax phone calls, known as swatting incidents, into area police stations alleging an imminent threat exists at local high schools.
“This week several schools have been targeted including Haverhill, Amesbury, Ipswich high schools and Salem High School today,” Marblehead Superintendent John Buckey and Police Chief Dennis King wrote in a Wednesday email to local parents. “The caller in each incident appears to be the same person, and reciting the same narrative.”
The pair added, “After all of the incident investigations, it has been preliminarily determined that the call is a hoax and there is no danger to the school community.”
King and Buckey said local law enforcement and Marblehead Public Schools are in communication and have developed a plan should the town receive a swatting call.
“If a call is received by the police department, officers will be dispatched and the school will be contacted,” the pair wrote. “Out of the abundance of caution, the school will be placed in lockdown. Additional emergency personnel will be sent to the school to conduct a check of the building.”
After officials clear the incident, the school lockdown will be lifte and normal operations will resume.
“At that time, a message will also be sent to the school community providing releasable information about the incident, clearing that the school is safe,” Buckey and King wrote.
