Deputies respond to threats at Highland HS

For the past few days, there have been numerous threats to Highland High School. On Tuesday, the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station sent extra deputies to campus because of the threats and in an effort to ensure the safety of the students and faculty there.

The Antelope Valley Union High School District didn’t get back to Reporter Julie Drake to offer a comment before press time Tuesday evening, so we’re not sure exactly what is going on. The nature of the threats was not disclosed.

However, we do know the deputies at the Lancaster station are taking every threat seriously — whether it is verbal or made via social media.

“Rumors cannot be invalidated as we take the safety of our students with the utmost seriousness,” Lancaster station Public Information Officer Ali Villalobos said in a Nixle alert that was blasted Tuesday.

Threats are frightening enough and Highland High School, as well as the AVUHSD, should be glad for the deputies at the Lancaster station, who are looking out for students and employees.

Personnel at a high school in Pomona recently learned that their decision in June to eliminate funding for police was not a good one.

They decided to re-imagine school safety and removed officers from high schools. They brought in proctors that were trained to de-escalate tense situations. Unfortunately, there was a recent shooting near Pomona High School that left a 12-year-old injured by debris and broken glass.

That incident prompted the School Board to re-evaluate whether they needed police back on campus.

“An incident such as this drives us, as leaders, to examine our practices and our protocols in caring for students and staff in regards to mental health, conflict mediation, emergency procedures, communication facilities and safety,” Pomona Superintendent Richard Martinez said during an Oct. 20 meeting, following the shooting, according to a KTLA 5 report.

The Pomona district wasn’t alone in their decision, however. The Fremont Unified School District also voted to discontinue its school resource officer program last November, but brought it back in May of this year.

Removing law enforcement officers from schools is a topic that some letter writers to the Antelope Valley Press felt passionate about. Some thought having school resource officers was a waste of money and unnecessary, while others argued that they are needed to keep the peace and protect those on campus, when others methods fail.

If anyone doubted the need for police on campus, they need only hear about what happened at Highland High School on Tuesday — or in this case, what didn’t happen. Students, parents and faculty should feel safe knowing that the deputies have their six.