Mahwah Mayor Wants Armed Cops At Every School

MAHWAH, NJ — Mayor William Laforet wants armed police officers at every school following a threat a student made against a middle school recently.

Mayor William Laforet posted on his personal Facebook page Saturday about a directive he reportedly gave Police Chief James Batelli that uniformed police officers patrol township schools, a request district officials said in a letter was made without any input or collaborative discussion with either the Police Department or the District.

Controversy arose recently when parents were notified about a student's threat "to shoot up" Ramapo Ridge Middle School according to NBC4 New York. The threat was made several months ago, but the violence was supposed to take place on Friday at the school.

In a letter to local families Tuesday, Mahwah Board of Education President Kim Barron and Superintendent C. Lauren Schoen said officials are maintaining "an active and regular dialogue" with Chief James Batelli and the Mahwah Police Department.

Some parents were angry after getting word about the threat and accused Mahwah schools of withholding the information for months, according to Daily Voice. The principal later disputed that information about the threat had been withheld, noting that an email was sent to parents on Oct. 28.

Barron and Schoen said in their letter that "robust security measures and emergency procedures do exist at each of our schools.

"These procedures have been carefully designed and implemented in partnership with the Mahwah Police Department, and are under ongoing review depending on the needs of our district."

Also in the Facebook post, Laforet said he requested that Batelli immediately notify him and the Township Council "of any and all threats" involving township schools.

Batelli said that "numerous measures are in place, both those visible and many behind the scenes" to provide a safe learning environment for students."

"Our response plans to a school emergency is constantly evolving taking into account the latest technology, training, and response protocols," Batelli said. "As a matter of policy we do not go into security measures, but appropriate measures are in place to handle any event which may occur. For years our Officers have maintained a very visible presence in and around the school and will continue to maintain that visible presence."

Laforet also wants the Board of Education and Superintendent C. Lauren Schoen to immediately enter into a shared service agreement with the township to defray the cost of placing officers at the schools.

"It is imperative that whenever anyone learns of a potential safety threat that they immediately notify the Mahwah Township Police Department and the Mahwah Township School District," Laforet said. "As a community, we all have to remain vigilant and work together to ensure the safety of our students and District personnel."

Here is the letter co-signed by Barron and Schoen:

Mahwah School District Letter by Daniel Hubbard on Scribd

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Photo by Renee Schiavone/Patch staff