Juveniles charged with making threats, giving false info to Safe2Say tip line

Several juveniles have been identified and charged with making false reports to the Safe2Say program over the last two weeks, Allentown police said.

Both police and Allentown School District received anonymous tips through the program concerning violent acts at several schools in the district. After investigations that included the Lehigh County district attorney’s office, the threats were found “not to be credible and unsubstantiated,” police said.

Several juveniles were then identified and charged with making terroristic threats and false alarms.

Dieruff High School dismissed students at 11 a.m. Thursday after first receiving a tip about a potential shooting that caused it to go into an hour-long lockdown. During a police investigation that day, two additional anonymous tips were received regarding potential violence, prompting the early dismissal.

Then, Monday afternoon, three Allentown schools were temporarily placed on lockdowns due to threats of violence.

Dieruff went into lockdown at 12:15 p.m. following tips about a potential shooting and violence. At 1:15 p.m., Allen High and Trexler Middle School also went into lockdown after Safe2Say tips were received about a bomb threat and a potential shooting.

Lehigh Career & Technical Institute has also received repeated threats that have disrupted classes for three straight school days. Tuesday’s lockdown ended at 10:14 a.m. after state police searched the campus and determined there was no danger, the school said in a statement on its website.

All tips received through the Safe2Say program are thoroughly investigated, police said, and are monitored around the clock by crisis center analysts.

Anyone that has additional information regarding these cases should contact the Community Outreach Unit at 610-437-7741.