Extra Police Presence Requested At Greenwich High School Friday

GREENWICH, CT — Classes will go on as scheduled and there will be extra police presence at Greenwich High School on Friday, as the Greenwich Police Department continues to investigate a "disturbing message" that was found at the school Thursday morning.

Capt. Mark Zuccerella of the GPD said extra officers were requested by the school. He said early Thursday evening that the Special Victims Section is conducting the investigation and following up on leads to determine who wrote the message on a wall inside a girls bathroom.

"We take matters like this very serious and work in conjunction with the Board of Education to act with the best interest of the children and school staff in mind," Zuccerella said. "Threats of harm to students, or anyone, will never be tolerated by the Greenwich Police Department. We will use all of our resources to identify the person responsible and hold them accountable for any threats of harm made to any school regardless if the threat was meant as a prank or not."

Around 9:30 a.m. Thursday, the GPD was contacted by School Resource Officers (SRO) after the message was found written on a wall inside a girls bathroom. Out of an abundance of caution, extra officers were sent to the school. Normally there are two SROs who patrol the school daily.

Police said there was no imminent threat, and classes continued on Thursday, although some students were picked up by their families. Students traversed the halls in a pre-COVID route utilizing the inside of the building instead of traveling outside on the sidewalk.

There was a medical emergency at the school Thursday morning, but it was unrelated to the message that was found, police said.

Zuccerella dispelled rumors that were circulating on social media.

"There are rumors about an arrest, a gun, as well as other claims. There were no arrests or weapons related issues," he said.

In an email to Greenwich Public Schools families Thursday, Superintendent Dr. Toni Jones said the school district is working directly with the Greenwich Police Department to conduct security and investigative work.

Jones referenced other incidents in Fairfield County that have occurred in recent days involving inappropriate phone calls and threats that have been deemed not credible.

In Norwalk late Wednesday night, police said they arrested a juvenile in connection with three hoax threatening incidents reported at Norwalk High School within a week.

"There is nothing more important than the safety of our students and staff. We are grateful for the strong support we have with the Greenwich Police Department," Jones said.

Zuccerella said he feels GHS "assessed the matter well" with police. He said officers are trained to handle these types of situations.

"It's all about an assessment and working well with the Board of Ed. to determine what's best for the kids and the teachers," he said.

If anyone has information regarding the incident, contact the Greenwich Police Department at TIPS@greenwichct.org or 203-622-3333. Both are confidential tip lines.

The GPD will not be releasing any further information, Zuccerella said.