Police departments here and across Long Island are on heightened alert at schools, following social media posts that threatened violence today, Friday. Those threats have now been deemed non-credible.
"There are no such threats specific to schools in our region," the East Hampton Town Police Department said on Facebook Friday morning. "As a precautionary measure, E.H.T.P.D. has been in communication with all schools within our jurisdiction, and you may notice an increased law enforcement presence at or around schools today." The department has "been in constant contact with our county, state, and federal law enforcement partners ensuring all resources and intel information has been fully utilized."
Although media reports indicate that the threatening posts on TikTok originated in Arizona, the local authorities said that "repeated reposting of these threats in local group chats created the perception that they may be regionally focused."
In an email to families on Thursday, the Ross School said its security team "will keep up a continual patrol of all buildings on campus."
A notification sent to Sag Harbor families by the district superintendent, Jeff Nichols, acknowledged that the vague threats were possibly a hoax, but indicated there would be "a police presence" at its campuses on Friday. "As always, the safety and well-being of our students remain our priority," Mr. Nichols wrote.
The Bridgehampton and East Hampton School Districts sent out similar messages emphasizing their student-first approach to safety.
"We have been informed that the officers will be monitoring all local school district campuses throughout the day," Adam Fine, the East Hampton superintendent, said in an email on Thursday.