KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Kalamazoo Sheriff Richard Fuller weighed in on recent threats made towards Kalamazoo-area schools Tuesday night.
During the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners meeting, Fuller took time to speak on law enforcement responses to the cases, noting that the Sheriff’s department did not handle any of them.
“We’re very fortunate to have wonderful law enforcement in this community, both at the City and some of the townships that have actually handled these cases,” Fuller said. “When these cases come across everyone’s attention, we have a plan to investigate these things and appropriately work with the families and schools. That’s what’s happened this week.”
Four juvenile students have been charged with making various threats to different schools.
“This is why we ask our parents to pay attention to what their kids are doing,” Fuller said. “Be involved with their kids, listen to their kids.”
Fuller advises that parents in Kalamazoo take note of these threats and discuss them with their children.
“We’re hoping that the parents in our community will take these four cases and go to their children and help them understand the seriousness of this,” Fuller said. “All the children were told, ‘you’re staying home this week because there was a threat to your school.’ Well how does that make them feel going back to school the next week, and when does that end?”
Fuller suggests that being more involved with children’s lives can help prevent future incidents as the threats that have occurred since last week.
“These are things that we need to consider, so we’re asking that everyone be engaged in the conversation and that parents become more engaged with your kids,” Fuller said. “Hopefully you’ll learn what they’re doing, and maybe you can help them understand the seriousness of something that they might be involved with.”
The two latest incidents occurred in Vicksburg when a juvenile made a threat against the schools, resulting in a school district closure and the subsequent arrest of the juvenile.
Meanwhile in Union City, a 14-year-old reportedly brought a loaded handgun to school after threatening students.
