Orlando crafts fix for threat loophole

Authorities hampered by current laws when people threaten schools

When somebody makes a threat on social media against a school, Orlando authorities want to be able to make an arrest.

However, a loophole in state law makes it difficult to do so unless the person admits it was a hoax.

The Orlando City Council is expected to vote on a tweak to its code Monday so that threats which appear to be true become a violation of its disorderly conduct policy.

“It’s an instance where technology has outpaced the law,” Orlando Police Chief John Mina said. “If someone says they were going to go through with it and decide not to, there’s no law for that.”

The proposed change is needed because law enforcement, locally and nationally, is dealing with more threats on social media, he said.

In one such instance Oct. 29, Orlando police detectives were tipped off by a parent to a threat made on Snapchat against a local school. “Shooting up the school on Monday. Don’t come to school if you want to live (I’m serious),” the message read.

Detectives identified the student and had a meeting with the person at the family’s home. The student admitted the threat was a hoax, which allowed officials to make an arrest, police spokeswoman Michelle Guido said.

But in cases of some credible threats, law enforcement hasn’t been able to make an arrest because of the loophole.

“We recognized a few instances … that we were having to figure out ways to arrest or stop individuals who have threatened to do harm,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said. “This will give our Orlando police officers the ability to take people off the streets.”

The vote Monday will come nearly two weeks after a gunman attacked the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School campus in Parkland, killing 17 students and staff members, and injuring 14 more.

But Orlando officials say they’ve been working on adjusting the policy for about a month.

State lawmakers also are considering a pair of bills — Senate Bill 310 and House Bill 165 — which would address the issue, Mina said, but Orlando didn’t want to wait on the state.

The local change needs to be approved twice by the city council in public hearings. The first vote is scheduled for the council’s regular meeting Monday at 2 p.m. in The Terrace Gallery.

“We need to make sure our students know they can’t get on social media and make these blanket threats because we’ll come and arrest you,” Mina said.