Hopewell Area School District holding community forums on swatting incidents

FROM HOPEWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THERE WERE A LOT OF PARENTS IN OUR REGION WHO WERE ON EDGE AFTER SEEING THE NEWS ABOUT FAKE ACTIVE SHOOTER ALERTS. MARCH 29TH. IT WAS PART OF A PATTERN OF SWATTING CALLS ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH MEANT TO EVOKE A LARGE POLICE PRESENCE. I WANTED TO HOAX. YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO BELIEVE. IT’S REAL UNTIL IT’S NOT REAL. BRITTANY, WE’RE REMEMBERS RUSHING TO HOPEWELL ELEMENTARY WITHIN JUST MINUTES OF HEARING ABOUT A POSSIBLE THREAT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. EVERYBODY WAS AT. THE HIGH SCHOOL WAS AT THE JUNIOR HIGH, BUT I PULLED UP HERE PRETTY EARLY RIGHT AFTER I HAD HEARD WHAT HAPPENED. AND THERE WAS NO POLICE PRESENCE. SO JUST A LITTLE, YOU KNOW, NERVE WRACKING AS A PARENT. THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WHERE HER TWO YOUNG KIDS ATTEND WAS NOT A TARGET OF THE SWATTING CALLS THAT DAY IN MARCH. BUT AT THE MEETING WEDNESDAY NIGHT, SHE SAYS SHE SUGGESTED THAT POLICE SHOULD HAVE STILL SHOWED UP THERE, TOO. AS A PRECAUTION, REPORTERS WERE ASKED NOT TO ATTEND THE MEETING TO GIVE PARENTS INSIDE A PRIVATE SPACE TO SPEAK OPENLY ABOUT SENSITIVE ISSUES. YOU LOOK DISTRICT WIDE. I MEAN, WE JUST HAVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN TESTED AT THIS LEVEL. AND SO WE WANT TO REVISIT THOSE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE MECHANISMS IN PLACE SHOULD SOMETHING OCCUR IN THE FUTURE SUPERINTEND DR. JEFF BELTS BELIEVES STUDENTS, STAFF AND FIRST RESPONDERS, DISTRICT WIDE WERE SWIFT IN THEIR RESPONSE, BUT HE ACKNOWLEDGES THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT WHEN IT COMES TO COMMUNITY GATING. EFFECTIVELY, OUR SCHOOL MASS MESSENGER SERVICE CAN REACH ALL OUR FAMILIES, BUT IT DOESN’T NECESSARILY HIT ALL OF YOUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. AND I THINK THAT’S THE PIECE THAT THE THAT THE WEBSITE CAN PROVIDE. AS FOR BRITNEY, WHERE SHE HAS TO GRAPPLE WITH TOUGH CONVERSATIONS OF HER OWN, IT’S SCARY. I MEAN, I HAD TO TALK TO MY KIDS SAYING THAT THIS MIGHT NOT BE THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENS. IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN. AGAIN, THIS IS JUST THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF MEETINGS ABOUT THE SWATTING INCIDENT IN MARCH. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT FUTURE EVENTS, YOU CAN FIN

Swatting calls are on the rise across the country, including here in Pennsylvania. In March, the Hopewell Area School District was one of several local districts that received a swatting call.Hopewell is hosting a series of community discussions about safety protocols and the response to the incident. The first was held Wednesday at the Hopewell Elementary library.Pittsburgh's Action News 4 crews intended to attend Wednesday's meeting, but the superintendent requested that journalists not attend so that parents inside could speak candidly about sensitive issues."This is just an opportunity for us to communicate with our families and learn from them as we move forward and debrief the whole swatting emergency issue that we had," said Jeff Beltz, superintendent of the Hopewell Area School District.Beltz said he was proud of the swift response by the school resource officer and police that day in March. He admitted, though, that improvements in communication can always be made."Our school mass messenger service can reach all our families," Beltz said. "But it doesn't necessarily hit all of our community members. I think that's the piece that the website can revise."Dates and locations of the upcoming events are:Junior High School (Library) May 15 at 6 p.m.Central Office (Board Room) May 16 at 12 p.m.Senior High School (Gym Entrance-Classroom) May 16 at 6 p.m.Independence Elementary (Library) May 17 at 6 p.m.Margaret Ross Elementary (Library) May 25 at 6 p.m.

HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP, Pa. —

Swatting calls are on the rise across the country, including here in Pennsylvania.

In March, the Hopewell Area School District was one of several local districts that received a swatting call.

Hopewell is hosting a series of community discussions about safety protocols and the response to the incident. The first was held Wednesday at the Hopewell Elementary library.

Pittsburgh's Action News 4 crews intended to attend Wednesday's meeting, but the superintendent requested that journalists not attend so that parents inside could speak candidly about sensitive issues.

"This is just an opportunity for us to communicate with our families and learn from them as we move forward and debrief the whole swatting emergency issue that we had," said Jeff Beltz, superintendent of the Hopewell Area School District.

Beltz said he was proud of the swift response by the school resource officer and police that day in March. He admitted, though, that improvements in communication can always be made.

"Our school mass messenger service can reach all our families," Beltz said. "But it doesn't necessarily hit all of our community members. I think that's the piece that the website can revise."

Dates and locations of the upcoming events are:

Junior High School (Library) May 15 at 6 p.m.

Central Office (Board Room) May 16 at 12 p.m.

Senior High School (Gym Entrance-Classroom) May 16 at 6 p.m.

Independence Elementary (Library) May 17 at 6 p.m.

Margaret Ross Elementary (Library) May 25 at 6 p.m.

Hopewell Area School District holding community forums on swatting incidents

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