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Students at several Coquitlam, B.C., schools were placed under “hold and secure” protocols Friday over what administrators described as a “called in threat.”
The Coquitlam School District told CBC News in an email at 11:30 a.m. PT that the hold and secure was a “precautionary measure.”
By 1 p.m., the district posted online that the emergency protocols had been lifted.
Centennial Secondary, Vanier Centre and Goal Oriented Alternative Learning were all placed under the hold and secure, while “precautions” were taken at Porter Street Elementary, according to the school district.
Friday is the third day in a row students and teachers in the Vancouver suburb have dealt with such disruptions.
Centennial students have faced disturbances all three days and one the week before.
No evidence students at risk, police say
Coquitlam RCMP said they are working with the school district to investigate the “alleged threats” but so far, “no corroborating information or evidence has been identified indicating students or staff were at risk.”
“We understand the frustration and concern that the public may feel in response to these incidents,” Sgt. Adriana O’Malley said in a statement.
Police say they have not found any evidence students or staff were at risk. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
“However, we want to remind the public that these incidents are designed to create fear and gain publicity. Publicly circulating or amplifying unverified information can contribute to further disruptions.”
Police say they are still looking for whoever is behind the threats, and noted that it is a crime to make a false police report.
‘Paranoia and frustration’
Parents and officials weighed in Friday about the toll the threats have taken on the community.
Shaun Driver, whose child attends Glenayre Elementary in Port Moody — another Coquitlam School District facility targeted by threats Wednesday — said “paranoia and frustration” are words coming to mind.
“We’re just being told, ‘alleged threats, alleged threats,'” Driver said. “And while we’re being told the schools are safe on one hand from the school district, we’re also, concurrently, being told that there is an investigation of a threat.”
“And so trying to determine what to do with those two very different statements has been a concern.”
A school bus and a number of cars lined up at Centennial Secondary’s drop-off area Friday after the school received threats. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Arisa Yang has a 14-year old son at Centennial Secondary School, and says some students have stayed home this week and she was unsure if her own son should attend classes Friday.
“Sure enough at 10 o’clock he messaged me saying this lockdown had happened and that’s when I got scared, because I felt responsible for sending him today,” Yang said.
District superintendent Nadine Tambellini acknowledged “uncertainty, anxiety, and a wide range of emotions” can come out of these incidents, and committed to “transparency and clear communication.”
“Because the RCMP and Port Moody Police hold primary responsibility for public safety and the investigation of incidents like these, the school district cannot share information that pertains to their active investigations,” she said in a statement.
“I remain confident that our staff and students are safe. While these events are disruptive and unsettling, it is essential that we continue to trust our police partners and follow routine, precautionary protocols so they can carry out their work safely and effectively on behalf of our entire community.”
B.C.’s education ministry stated the “well-being and safety of students and staff in the K‑12 education system is the ministry’s highest priority” and noted all districts are required to have co-ordinators for school-wide safety initiatives.
A school district policy document defines a hold and secure as an emergency procedure “used if there is a security concern in the neighbourhood. It says, “Typically, normal activities continue within the school.”
The policy calls for everyone to be brought inside the school, for windows to be closed and blinds or drapes drawn, and for unauthorized people not to enter or exit the school.