Schools locked down as spate of threats continues
Police treat calls seriously but deny real risk to safety
Police were last night speaking to two young people after a threat forced a Blenheim school into lockdown yesterday. Emergency services have alluded to the call to Marlborough Girls’ College as being a hoax.
Tasman area commander Simon Feltham said police believed there was no further threat to the public following the drama.
“Police are speaking to two young people in relation to the incident,” Feltham said.
“Emergency services want to stress the negative impact hoax calls have on the community and on resources that may be needed to respond to other priority incidents.”
A number of police units were sent to the school yesterday after it received the second threat against the school in 24 hours.
College principal Mary-jeanne Lynch said on Facebook yesterday afternoon the lockdown had been lifted and the threat to the school was now “resolved“.
A number of other schools voluntarily locked down following the threat and police advised the public to avoid the area.
In an earlier Facebook post, Lynch said all students and staff were “safe inside the building and police are present and are investigating”.
Police were also called to the school around 2pm on Wednesday and were speaking to one person in relation to that event, the school said.
Yesterday’s threat was not believed to be linked to threats towards other schools made this week, a police spokesperson said.
Earlier yesterday, numerous schools nationwide received phone threats, with Awatapu College, Rolleston College and Wakatipu High School among those targeted.
Police revealed inquiries are under way in relation to threats at schools in Masterton, Kaiko¯ura, Greymouth, Queenstown, Levin, Whanganui, Rolleston, Takaka, Geraldine, Dunstan, Ashburton and Palmerston North.
On Tuesday similar threats were made to six schools in the North Island, and they and neighbouring schools went into lockdown as a precaution.
Police said they took such threats “extremely seriously” and were making inquiries to find the source of the calls. “At this stage police do not believe there is a safety risk.”
Awatapu College in Palmerston North posted on its Facebook page
just before 12.30pm yesterday that it had received a bomb threat.
“Police believe the risk is very low but, in an abundance of caution, we have made the decision to evacuate the school,” the post said.
Students Year 10 and older made their way home to call their parents if possible, while Year 9s and others who couldn’t get home were told to report to the gym, which had been cleared by police.
Meanwhile emergency services, including Fire and Emergency New Zealand, were called to Wakatipu High School in Queenstown and students were evacuated and youngsters at Rolleston College, near Christchurch, were evacuated after a threat was received before midday.
Police also confirmed Geraldine High School received a bomb threat.
Ministry of Education hautu¯
(leader) of operations Sean Teddy said the ministry was “aware that multiple schools across the motu have received a threat”.
Three days ago six North Island schools were either thrust into lockdown or evacuated after threats were made over the phone.
The Ministry of Education said it was aware of threats made towards five schools in Waikato and one school in Gisborne.
Matamata College, Matamata Intermediate, Thames High School, Cambridge High School, Firth Primary School and Lytton High School all posted on Facebook they had received threats and were evacuating students, or had gone into lockdown.
Ministry teams were in contact with all of the schools providing whatever support was needed.
— NZ Herald