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Letter to the Editor

Protecting our community

Michael A. Schiff - Sullivan County Sheriff
Posted 1/7/22

To the editor:

This past December 14 marked nine years since the horrific Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut which took the lives of 26 people.

In a sick tribute to this …

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Letter to the Editor

Protecting our community

Posted

To the editor:

This past December 14 marked nine years since the horrific Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut which took the lives of 26 people.

In a sick tribute to this grim anniversary, schools in Sullivan County were suddenly inundated with threats of violence over the internet and by telephone. While the initiators of these communications were impressing their friends and collecting “likes” on social media, local law enforcement was swinging into immediate action.

Led by Sullivan County District Attorney Meagan Galligan, the county’s police agencies quickly mobilized and countered with a barrage of subpoenas and search warrants. Within a matter of hours state and local police followed the “electronic footprints” of the perpetrators right to the front doors of their homes and began making arrests.

By Monday, December 20, 6 juveniles and 1 adult were under arrest in separate cases, charged with multiple felonies for making terroristic threats against several school districts. The juvenile defendants in these cases not only face expulsion from their schools but the possibility, which is being explored, of having their parents pay restitution for the costs of these investigations.

I would like to commend District Attorney Megan Galligan for her leadership in coordinating the swift law enforcement response to these threats and thank all of the police agencies in Sullivan County who came together to work as a cohesive unit to protect our community.

Comments

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  • lhfc1563

    Back in the day this used to be bomb scares, unfortunately they have escalated to this since Columbine.

    Question is 'where's the education' against such acts?

    Education has gone down the toilet where it lets students be on their cellphones most of their day, the take over by video games and social media. Kids, for a while now, have been redirected from reality to 'bloodbath' games on their phones, it used to be the RAP music.

    Education has gone way down and this is before the covid attack. With the moving in and catering too not only the illegals but to every little quirk they seem fit, e.g. 27 different genders, stupidity and un-education surely has taken a tole on our kids. Home schooling hasn't helped at all to curb this in fact seems like it got worse.

    SRO's are useless as does not having metal detectors.

    NYS has 'red flag' laws but unless someone says something and it gets followed through this will keep happening, sad but true.

    It isn't the glorifying of guns though Hollywood doesn't do anything to help but makes impression on young minds.

    Thursday, January 13, 2022 Report this

  • lhfc1563

    Back in the day this used to be bomb scares, unfortunately they have escalated to this since Columbine.

    Question is 'where's the education' against such acts?

    Education has gone down the toilet where it lets students be on their cellphones most of their day, the take over by video games and social media. Kids, for a while now, have been redirected from reality to 'bloodbath' games on their phones, it used to be the RAP music.

    Education has gone way down and this is before the covid attack. With the moving in and catering too not only the illegals but to every little quirk they seem fit, e.g. 27 different genders, stupidity and un-education surely has taken a tole on our kids. Home schooling hasn't helped at all to curb this in fact seems like it got worse.

    SRO's are useless as does not having metal detectors.

    NYS has 'red flag' laws but unless someone says something and it gets followed through this will keep happening, sad but true.

    It isn't the glorifying of guns though Hollywood doesn't do anything to help but makes impression on young minds.

    Thursday, January 13, 2022 Report this