CLARENCE CENTER, N.Y. — The Clarence Central School District has alerted parents and the community of hate-related and threatening graffiti made on the school's grounds Monday. Adding to a total of four Western New York schools now on high alert after a recent uptick in threats.
Clarence town supervisor, Patrick Casilio is ensuring parents and students that Clarence Central School Districts are safe.
"The Sheriff's had officers in our buildings and the SWAT team has also been in our buildings," said Casilio.
School safety and security experts say Clarence is not the only school district battling the uptick in non-credible threats.
"There's definitely a higher volume of these threats coming in specifically through social media. As the social media presence, as the students have more access, as the years go by with social media," said Bryan DalPorto, Director of Safety and Security at Niagara Falls City School District.
He says in order to combat the uptick in these non-credible threats, the consequence must be prosecution.
If we do identify who that person is, I think prosecution for that person really discourages copycats. We can't just let this slide. It's a big deal," said DalPorto.
The full alert on the school's website read:
"Dear Clarence School Family,
I am writing to let you know that just over an hour ago, we were notified that graffiti with a series of hate-related and threatening messages had been found on the West Shore Bike Path in the area behind Clarence High School. As soon as we became aware of the information, we immediately contacted local law enforcement so that they could begin an investigation. At this point, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office has no evidence indicating that there is a credible threat, and they have asked that anyone with information on the graffiti call them at 716-858-2903.
During our conversation with the officers, they also reinforced the fact that there has been a recent uptick in school-related threats that have been, fortunately, found to be non-credible. While the situations are alarming for us all, it is important to note that the individuals responsible are generally focused on creating a sense of alarm and disruption as opposed to any real harm.
While the likelihood of actual danger is low, we believe that being cautious and prepared is essential to ensuring a safe, focused learning environment. With that in mind, I wanted you to know that we will have an increased law enforcement presence at each of our buildings tomorrow. Aside from providing reassurance and visible deterrence, we greatly value the expertise that trained officers possess when it comes to issues of safety.
Finally, we would like to thank the Town of Clarence for their partnership today. Supervisor Patrick Casilio has been in close contact with the District as well as the Sheriff’s Office, and he currently has members of his team working to remove the graffiti.
Keeping our school community safe is a responsibility we all share. If you ever notice a suspicious message, unusual behavior, or anything that just doesn’t feel right, we encourage you to report it immediately to school staff or local law enforcement. To help, we actively maintain an anonymous Tip Line on our District’s homepage. We appreciate your trust and support, and we know that together we can ensure our schools remain safe spaces for learning.
Matt Frahm
School Superintendent"
Pictures circulating online of the alleged threat showed graffiti which read "I will shoot up Clarence (words following illegible) 9/17 10 a.m."
Viewers sent us the photo which can be seen below. WGRZ has not been able to independently verify the photo.
