Superintendent Dede Galdston announced that the Watertown Police and the School personnel increased security measures after an bomb threat was sent by email. Police and school officials do not believe the threat to be credible and the schools will remain open, she added in the statement sent to the community.
See the full statement below:
Dear Watertown Public Schools Community,
This letter is to inform you about a bomb threat that we just received. Our schools are committed to the safety and education of all our students at all times, every day. We also want to clearly communicate with parents about safety issues when they arise. The email with the threat contained erroneous information from an unknown source that led us, in conjunction with the Watertown Police Department, to determine that the threat was not credible.
With the help of the police department and district personnel, we have added the following layers of safety to our school day:
- There will be an increased police presence at schools today and in the coming day
- Reviewing information from the email to determine its source
- Our schools entrances are controlled, and there is no reason to believe that any device is in our schools
- Out of an abundance of caution, we are conducting a perimeter sweep with canine support
- The Watertown Police Department has collaborated with other local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to investigate the matter
- All entrances and exits to our schools are being redundantly monitored
The police department is actively investigating the threat to determine its origin with the goal of determining the source of the threat. Classes will continue as usual today. However, there will be an increased police presence in and around the school today and in the coming days.
All threats to our school or students are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly. We wanted you to have the facts so you can discuss them with your child and emphasize the seriousness of this issue and that with the support of the police we will keep our schools safe.
Sincerely,
Dr. Deanne Galdston