Update: Waltham To Hold Bomb Scare Meeting, After Series Of Threats

WALTHAM, MA — The mayor and the superintendent, along with the Waltham Police Department, will host a citywide meeting on the repeated bomb threats that keep prompting evacuations and emailed alerts, the School District said in an emailed alert Friday after reporting yet another series of bomb threats directed at the schools.

"We recognize that the frequency of these threats is concerning and unsettling. We share your frustration," reads the email from the Superintendent of Schools office.

The meeting will be held on October 11, 2017 in the Kennedy Middle cafeteria at 6:30 p.m.

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"During this meeting, it is the Superintendent's expectation that the Waltham Police Department will be able to provide an update on the investigation into these critical matters," according to the message.

Later in the afternoon the schools, mayor and police sent out a joint message to the community outlining some of the steps the schools had taken to keep the students safe, including implementing a District-wide Safety and Security Committee, added surveillance, single entrance doors and assigning staff to monitor those entrances. As for the current status of the investigation?

"Given the serious nature of this investigation and its current status, the Waltham Police Department cannot comment because to do so would compromise the progress that has been made. We assure you that the Waltham Police Department continues to take these threats seriously and are working to bring this investigation to a close as quickly as possible," read the emailed statement which went on to say the police hoped to have an update at the meeting.

The messages come after Waltham Schools sent out an alert Wednesday about threats directed at 10 schools before school started. On Thursday, Aug. 21, several threats were also reported to police at churches, including St. Mary's and Christ Church Episcopal as well as several addresses that appear to be private homes, including one on Whitman Road, Forest Street and Brown Street. So far this month at least 23 reports of bomb threats have been logged with the police.

We'll continue to update more as more info becomes available.

The emails:

A message from WALTHAM PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT sent to members of the community at 2:48 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22:

Please see a joint statement below from Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy, Chief of Police Keith MacPherson and Superindent Drew Echelson. We have also attached the document in a PDF to this email.

September 22, 2017

Dear Waltham Community,

This is a joint statement from Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy, Superintendent of Schools Drew Echelson, and Chief of Police Keith D. MacPherson. The purpose of this letter is to communicate the moves we are making to ensure the safety and security of our schools. We also write to update you on why we cannot speak on the status of the investigation.

What are Waltham Public Schools and the City of Waltham doing to keep our schools safe?

The City of Waltham, Waltham Public Schools, and Waltham Police Department continue to make critical investments to increase the safety and security of our schools. These measures include:

• District-wide Safety and Security Committee which includes Waltham Police, central office and school leaders, parents and community members.
• Allocation of Dedicated School Resource Officers (SROs): Five SROs are assigned to the Waltham Public Schools. The role of the SRO is to partner with schools to maximize safety and security of all of our schools. The SROs provide technical assistance, make recommendations for improvement, and help support in the event of threats such as the most recent bomb threats we have received. This is an investment few communities have made. Much larger communities have only 1 or 2 resource officers for their entire school system.
• Video Surveillance at all of our schools
• Single Secured Entrances to Building
• Staff Assigned to Monitor Single Entrances of Schools
• RAPTOR Pilot: We have piloted a program at Waltham High School that asks visitors and guests to the school to show their identification which is scanned through a database to check backgrounds of those entering our buildings. This innovative pilot will be expanded across the Pre-K-12 system.
• Implementation of the School Threat Assessment Response System (STARS) and Alert Lockdown Inform Counter Evacuate (ALICE) protocols and tools.

WPD led Professional Development for Educators: ALICE, STARS toolkit training

What is the status of the investigation into these threats?

The current investigation into the recent bomb threats to the Waltham Public Schools and buildings in the city of Waltham continue to be a top priority of law enforcement. We understand that the citizens want answers about the status of the investigation. All that we can share at this point is that the investigation is active and ongoing and is a top priority to all involved. Given the serious nature of this investigation and its current status, the Waltham Police Department cannot comment because to do so would compromise the progress that has been made. We assure you that the Waltham Police Department continues to take these threats seriously and are working to bring this investigation to a close as quickly as possible. It is our hope that we will be able to update you on the investigation at the citywide meeting on the recent bomb threats. The citywide meeting is scheduled for October 11, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. in the Kennedy Middle School cafeteria.

School Principals

Additionally, school principals will be scheduling a meeting with parents prior to the October 11th meeting.

Here's the full message sent to families of students today, that one parent (thanks, for the tip!) said was sent to them at 10:24 a.m.

A message from WALTHAM PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

"This is the Superintendent's Office at Waltham Public Schools. This morning the Waltham Public Schools received bomb threats to the following schools: Waltham High School, Kennedy and McDevitt Middle School, and FitzGerald Elementary. Please know that all students and staff are safe.
Representatives from Waltham Public Schools immediately called 911 to report the incident. Officers from the Waltham Police Department were deployed to all Waltham Public School sites. In collaboration with school principals and custodians, a thorough walk-through was conducted at each building. All buildings were cleared and normal activities have resumed.

We recognize that the frequency of these threats is concerning and unsettling. We share your frustration. The Mayor and the Superintendent, along with the Waltham Police Department, will host a citywide meeting on these issues. The meeting will be held on October 11, 2017 in the Kennedy Middle cafeteria at 6:30 p.m. During this meeting, it is the Superintendent's expectation that the Waltham Police Department will be able to provide an update on the investigation into these critical matters."

RELATED:

ICYMI: 10 Bomb Threats Directed At Waltham Schools Wednesday

Bentley University Bomb Threat

24 Bomb Threats In Waltham Appear To Be Hoaxes: Police

Waltham, Belmont School Bomb Threats: Police

Photo by Jenna Fisher/Waltham Patch