ROCKPORT, Tx — Rockport Police Chief Nathan Anderson says his department is treating school threats with the highest level of seriousness as law enforcement agencies across the country see more of them being made.
On Wednesday, September 24, the Rockport Police Department announced via social media that an increased police presence would be seen on all Rockport-Fulton ISD campuses following threats referencing the district.
The threats were allegedly made by a Houston-area man.
Anderson said that threat was ultimately deemed not credible, but officers must still take immediate precautions. “We had many police officers around our school district last week whenever the threat came in,” Anderson told KRIS 6. “That’s gonna happen every single time because you know we don’t know it at the time that a threat comes in whether it’s credible or not so we’re gonna take all precautions necessary.”
Anderson said threats are on the rise, and police are working closely with schools to investigate them. “It is definitely an alarming trend." Anderson continued, “We take them all extremely serious, as we should, and we try to be forthcoming with the public.”
“A lot of times you just look at who’s making the threat. Can they be identified? Where are they? Do they have ties to this community? Do they have ties to this school district?” Anderson said. “Everything is taken extremely serious from the get-go whenever a threat comes in.”
With 30-years of law enforcement experience, Anderson believes social media plays a large part in the rise in cases. “You have social media, you have news stories, you have notoriety that it brings to them and mental illness,” he said. “It’s extremely unfortunate that that’s going on.”
Anderson ellaborated further, “They don’t understand the consequences that come with making a threat, even an idle threat or even a threat that’s just made through conversation." He continued, “We’re gonna take that extremely serious and they’re gonna be held accountable. You just cannot talk like that in today’s society.”
Anderson added his officers train regularly alongside the school district and other agencies to respond. “Communication is the key, working with the school district, working with the sheriff’s office, and working with the school police officers."
KRIS 6 reached out to the Aransas County Sheriff's Office for an update regarding the investigation of the Rockport-Fulton ISD threats but have not yet heard back.
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