DID YOU KNOW: You can file an anonymous report if you see a threat.
SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – A growing concern over social media threats to schools is driving one New Mexico school district to put out a reminder for people on how to approach it if they come across one online.
Santa Fe Public Schools (SFPS) and the police department want to make it clear that social media threats should not be reposted but instead reported.
“Sharing social media threats of school violence is a growing concern that can have significant and harmful consequences for our schools,” said Mario Salbidrez, executive of safety and security, SFPS.
Santa Fe Public Schools are familiar with social media threats as they have dealt with at least two earlier this year when they became part of a trend across the country appearing on a list of schools possibly targeted for a school shooting on social media.
“In many cases, the original threat may not be credible, or it can even be a hoax, but once it’s out there, the damage is already done,” said Salbidrez.
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez wants lawmakers to increase penalties for those threats he spoke about the issue last month after a spike in school lockdowns across the state because of those potential threats.
“Any threat of that kind should be a felony there is no justification in my mind for this to continue to be a misdemeanor,” said AG Raúl Torrez.
Now, the Santa Fe Police Department and Santa Fe Public Schools are sharing a three-minute video to remind people to not share these threats online but to report them instead.
“In some cases, sharing could be seen as intentional incitements, which may lead to charges of criminal misconduct,” said Salbidrez.
They said reposting could interfere with, or delay, investigations of said threat. The district also has a portal on its website called “See Something, Say Something.” It allows people to remain anonymous when filing a report.
“By working together family, educators, local law enforcement, and our Santa Fe safety and security team, we can create a strong partnership of support,” said Hilario Chavez, the Santa Fe public schools superintendent.
Numerous proposals for stricter penalties for criminal threats have been presented to the state legislature over the last four years with many of them failing to be passed.