GCBOE

our county schools. I won’t stand by and allow for the ‘ buck to be passed’ or the issue to be postponed and our students and others needlessly endangered. I cherish our children and truly care about our community, as I know each of you do. I am eager to recruit, train, equip and employ 24 new SROs in our schools and I know that you all will agree that no expense is too great to ensure the safety of our children. As your sheriff, I must insist that the Board of Education take action as rapidly as possible to initiate this funding. If anyone has a better idea or helpful suggestions, please let me know.”

The letter is signed by Sheriff Mitch Ralston.

The letter comes in response to many concerns brought forth by the citizens of Gordon County to the Sheriff’s Office concerning school safety after, not only the school shooting in Parkland, Fla. in February, but the arrest of a Gordon Central student for committing threats of violence.

On Tuesday night, Feb. 20, Gordon County deputies received a tip that a person had made a threat of violence at a local school on social media where photos depicting explicit threats to “shoot up” the school were made.

Deputies located witnesses and other evidence, which led them to the home of a 16- year- old Gordon Central High School student near Calhoun. The juvenile was taken into custody without incident and initially taken to the Sheriff’s Office. His parents have cooperated with investigating officers. The student made admissions to detectives that he had in fact made the threats. He was immediately remanded into the custody of the Regional Youth Detention Center by the local Juvenile Court. He is scheduled to appear in Gordon County Juvenile Court at a later date where he will face charges of making Terroristic Threats ( felony).

At the time, Sheriff Ralston said, ” I want everyone to know how very seriously my staff and I take any such threats against a school, students, staff, or visitors. I will not tolerate violence or threats against a school, student body, individual students, staff or others. We will aggressively investigate, arrest and prosecute anyone who chooses to make such a terrible and uninformed decision, and see to it that any such person is held accountable in our local court system.”

Since that time, additional threats in the county school system have been investigated.