Superintendent Jackie Glasheen met this morning with district and school staff along with members of the Holyoke Police Department to “review what went well yesterday and where we need to continue to reflect and improve” following yesterday’s lockdown at Holyoke High School North.
“This meeting provided us with a good foundation to build on,” Superintendent Glasheen said. “We will continue to meet as a team, and we will continue to provide updates to families and staff as our protocols evolve.”
Holyoke Police initiated a lockdown of Holyoke High School moments after the department received the first of a series of 911 phone calls at 12:39 p.m. on Thursday, August 27. Holyoke first responders and State Police conducted a thorough investigation of the school’s buildings and grounds, which took several hours. When law enforcement determined it was safe to do so, students were released in stages through the rear of the school.
Based on their collective investigations to date, law enforcement now considers these phone calls to be “swatting” incidents, or hoax phone calls intended to create fear and disruption. Police are continuing their investigations into the person or persons responsible for posting these threats.
“Out of an abundance of caution, Holyoke Police maintained an increased presence at our schools today,” Superintendent Glasheen said. Students and staff at HHS North went through metal detectors, and their bags and belongings were searched, before they were permitted to enter the building. No weapons were found during the search.
“As part of our on-going commitment to safety, we have periodically used metal detectors and conducted bag searches as students arrive at school for the day—and we will continue this practice going forward,” Mrs. Glasheen said. “Some of these searches will be announced in advance, and some will not. For unannounced searches, we will continue to send a message home to families with an update after we have closed the search for the day.”