In the old days, as in pre-internet, when there was a bomb scare somewhere, and it always seemed to be at a school, many newspapers, including this one, would decline to publish the report. The thinking was that the person who made the prank call would not only get a kick out of seeing the upheaval at the school but also see their handiwork described in the daily paper. In a real sense, we declined to be used in that manner.
Today, the landscape is much different. Little escapes the accelerating effects of social media, whether what gets accelerated is true or false. The school district, as well, in its efforts to be transparent, communicates with parents to make sure they are in the loop, and that is as it should be. And the police department and perhaps the fire department make their own reports that are then released to the public. When all of that communication is combined, there’s no reason for a media outlet not to publish the information. By then, the caller and their jollies have already had a field day.
Sadly, in those days, the prevalence of school shootings had not become what it is today. One of the first school shootings was in Jonesboro in the late 1990s. Dozens have happened since then. Many of the incidents have been described or hinted at on the shooters’ social media sites.
We imagine the police of old took the bomb threats seriously, but not likely as seriously as today’s law enforcement, which is or should be versed on the many cases of real-life tragedy that have sometimes followed a threat.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
For some reason, Watson Chapel has taken the brunt of these false calls locally. Even with all the transparency and with each call being deemed a false alarm, the fake alerts have to have taken their toll, even if it’s just the annoyance of dealing with them and the disruption of the day’s schedule of learning.
The district certainly does not need such aggravation – no district does – but at least Watson Chapel is completely familiar now with the routine. In the most recent one, which happened this week, someone said there was an active shooter situation. The authorities – the Arkansas State Police, Pine Bluff Police Department and Jefferson County sheriff’s office – were called, and lockdown protocols were put in place. Eventually, the district got the green light to go about its business.
One official pointed out that no harm came to anyone because of the threat, which is a reminder that, indeed, with the rush to address the situation, someone could be injured, as in these events do not happen in a vacuum.
Perhaps, the culprit or culprits will stop or be stopped someday. These nuisances need to end. Watson Chapel needs some time to heal.