GGPD and GGUSD Highlight Zero Tolerance for School Threats

On Tuesday, August 16, 2022, the Garden Grove Unified School District (GGUSD) Board of Education, district administrators, as well as Garden Grove Police Department (GGPD), Fountain Valley Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s and Fire Departments, Santa Ana Police Department and Westminster Police Department representatives met in a closed session meeting to discuss school threats and the safety measures in place, to protect students and staff. Following the meeting, a joint statement was issued to highlight Garden Grove Unified School District and Garden Grove Police Department’s zero-tolerance policy for school threats.

“School safety is our highest priority. We have absolutely zero tolerance for anyone who makes a comment that threatens a student, group of students or school community. When a threat occurs, whether or not it is found credible, we will investigate and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Too often, students think they are being funny when making threatening social media posts. All threats shared on social media will be investigated by the police to determine if the threat is credible. Even if the threat is determined non-credible, the student making the threat will be subject to disciplinary action.”

“It is also illegal to post or repost an alleged threat on social media, before the information has been reported and investigated. Posting and spreading false rumors about threats causes unnecessary fear, a disruption of the school day, and wastes valuable resources. Knowingly sharing a (real or fake) threat can also result in the person being arrested and charged with felony offenses, including false report of emergency and intent to terrorize, which include being sent to juvenile hall and a fine up to $10,000.00.

The appropriate response when coming across an alleged threat is to, report it to a school administrator or call 9-1-1, immediately. By properly reporting threats, the protocols in place can be swiftly implemented to quickly determine credibility of the threat.”

“Garden Grove Police Department has five dedicated School Resource Officers (SROs) who work full-time to protect Garden Grove schools. GGUSD continues to work closely with GGPD and other local law enforcement agencies to develop crisis response plans to best ensure our campuses remain the safest place for our students to learn.”

To anonymously report a crime or concerning incident, like threats, including those to a teacher or school administrator, call WeTip at 1-800-782-7463.

See below for a PSA video from GGPD and GGUSD regarding making school threats.