On Thursday evening, Nov. 14, the BCMS PTO hosted a districtwide meeting for families that included a presentation and panel discussion with law enforcement officials about the swatting incidents that impacted the district between Sept. 10 and Oct. 7.
The event included a presentation on district safety measures by Superintendent Jody Monroe and a question-and-answer session. Questions were submitted ahead of time. Participating on the panel were:
- BCHS Principal Dave Doemel
- BCMS Principal Mike Klugman
- Chief Technology Officer Erin Sheevers
- Bethlehem Police Chief Gina Cocchiara
- Bethlehem Police Detective and SRO Mike Berben
- Bethlehem Police Detective and SRO Caitlyn Krage
- Bethlehem Police Detective Chad Rice
- FBI Supervisory Special Agent (Albany Division) Charles Keller
- FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge (Albany Division) Geoffrey Hunter
- Presentation
View the Nov. 14 presentation here [PDF]
If you are unable to access the PDF linked above, please contact the BCSD Communications Office at 518-439-3650.
Q & A Panel (District Questions)
Q. Is remote instruction an option for families who don’t feel comfortable sending their students in these types of situations?
The district is prepared for remote instruction should there be a long-term need to close schools. The district is not able to pivot quickly to remote learning due to the logistical hurdles of creating accessible and equitable learning environments for all students.
Q. Should reunification locations be communicated publicly during an emergency?
When reunification is necessary, pickup locations must be communicated to families. The district relies on its mass notification system in ParentSquare to relay information to families. The district is working to create a reunification system that would make this type of communication more targeted to families of students who may be awaiting release following an emergency.
Q. What steps will be taken to improve the safety plan if this were to happen again?
The district has already had a number of internal safety meetings to review protocols and practices that were both effective and ineffective over the course of the threat period. These meetings are ongoing and have included teachers, administrators, coaches, SROs, and the Bethlehem Police Department. The district is also working with an internal committee to develop new emergency response protocols for extracurricular activities and athletic events that take place outside of the school day. The afterschool plans are being developed with other districts in the region to ensure continuity in safety plans.
Q. Are there goals and evaluation metrics for the SRO program?
Goals and duties of the School Resource Officers are clearly outlined in the agreement the district has with the town of Bethlehem. The SRO agreement is posted to the district website. The SROs keep logs of their activities each day. That information is shared with district administrators on a monthly basis.
Q. How is information communicated during situations like this? What improvements can be made in terms of communication during an emergency or during reunification?
The district uses ParentSquare to communicate with families and staff in an emergency. Email and text are primary communication tools; automated phone calls are also available. The district is in the process of integrating data from athletics and extracurricular groups to provide more targeted messaging in the event of an emergency or necessary reunification of families.
Q. What about communication for before- or after-school care in the event of an emergency?
For onsite care providers such as School’s Out, district leadership communicates directly with the provider to inform them of any decisions that would impact students in their care. Where possible, the district will communicate information regarding School’s Out.
Q. Is there talk about replacing full pane glass exterior doors with limited glass doors, as bullet proof glass can be broken with assault weapons?
The district is always looking at ways to improve safety in our buildings. Capital outlay projects and bond projects often include safety and security upgrades. Projects were recently completed in which the front entrances to Glenmont, Hamagrael and the middle school were “hardened.” All schools in the district now have hardened entrances. Additional security features are being considered as part of our facilities review process.
Q. What security controls are in place to secure children on playgrounds at elementary schools, particularly because these areas are not fully fenced?
During the school day, students are never left unattended on playgrounds. There are aides assigned to each recess and these aides accompany students and provide supervision and direction.
Q. Does the Bethlehem Police Department receive regular training regarding school violence threats?
Yes, all SROs and department personnel are fully trained on immediate response, eliminating the threat, medical care, school clearing/evacuation and reunification in the event there is a school violence incident. Specific training from the State of New York Police Juvenile Officers Association includes: Basic School Resource Officers Course Advanced School Resources Officers Course Basic Juvenile Officer Course Advanced Juvenile Officer Course Community Resource Officer training.
Q. Would the district consider having someone assigned to monitor school grounds on a regular basis?
Yes, the district is looking at options to increase staffing in this area. The addition of new staff involves budgetary considerations. Budget additions and the creation of new positions requires Board approval and a public vote.
Q. Is there talk of putting in metal detectors/police officers in all school buildings?
Safety improvements at our schools are topics for consideration and discussion during the budget process. Development of the 2025-26 budget begins in public sessions in February 2025.
Q. I have attended continuing education classes which start well after the end of the day. Is someone locking the front doors so random people cannot enter before the next school day?
Yes. Our Operations & Maintenance department secures each building at the end of the night and sets nightly alarms.
Q. Can there be more signage in the athletics areas at the high school that could help direct people in case of emergency?
Yes. We are working with our Operations & Maintenance team and with our District Safety Team to ensure signage is visible and messages are clear.
Q. What are some preventative mental health measures being put in place or being planned for at the high school to assist students
Administrators and counselors met with groups of students who were in the Sept. 11 after school lockdown to debrief and discuss their feelings and to share the types of support we could offer to them.
We have a Student Assistance Counselor available for all high school students in grades 9-12. Our high school Mental Health Committee, Coordinated Care Team, and Pupil Study Team all meet monthly to discuss supports for students. Social-emotional lessons year-round focus on emotional regulation, increasing connectivity with peers, and coping strategies for moments of stress/anxiety.
Q. Can the teachers wear alerts around their necks, like the staff in Georgia?
The district has several ways for staff to call a lockdown when there is an imminent threat, including mobile apps. The district is always looking for new ways to make this as easy and effective as possible. Alerts attached to staff ID badges are under consideration for future upgrades.
Q & A Panel (Law Enforcement Questions)
Is there a clear chain of command for when multiple police agencies or other law enforcement respond in the event of an active shooter or other threat?
Yes. Police agencies and school district personnel are trained in to follow an Incident Command System. If there is an active situation, call 911. The local are first responders. A law enforcement officer who is the first responder assumes command until a higher ranking officer takes over. A police commander or the police chief sets up an Incident Command center. Depending on the situation, Incident Command would include liaisons from other law enforcement agencies and from the school district. The FBI is not set up to be a first responder. The FBI will provide immediate resources to local agencies from tactical teams, analytic resources, crisis negotiators, evidence collection or other assets we can bring to a command post situation.The FBI works closely with state and local police agencies to ensure the lead agency has all resources needed to effectively address a situation.
Was the individual arrested in Canada working alone?
According to the FBI, the investigation to date has NOT revealed anyone in the Capital Region or in neighboring states who were involved. If this changes, the FBI would share that information with the district and the community.
Was the individual who was arrested in Canada doing it as a prank or were there other motives?
According to the FBI, investigative steps are still being followed in this case, however, the agency is not aware of any information that would indicated the subject was ever a true threat to the Bethlehem Central School District or to any residents of the community. The individual made numerous threats other across the U.S. and foreign countries. The subject also made numerous nuisance calls or prank calls to individuals and businesses in Canada and elsewhere.
How do you distinguish between a fake threat and a real threat?
According to the FBI, distinguishing between what is real in situations like these and what is not is one of the most challenging things the agency does. It is why the SROs and all law enforcement partners respond to each threat as if it is a real threat. Some factors the FBI looks at to determine if a call is swatting is caller information and behavior; whether the individual can provide details when questioned; digital evidence; verbal cues and indicators; among others.
What can we do in our home environments to protect our home computers from being utilized in swatting calls by an outside source?
Common things you can do is update your devices, change your router password, use multi-factor authentication, turn on SIM card protection. Additional protections would include using an authenticator app such as Duo or Google Authenticator. For parents, you want to use parental controls and have conversations with students about what they are doing online.
What is making it so difficult to track down these swatters?
According to the FBI, people are getting better at masking their identity with online anonymizers, caller ID spoofing and vitual private networks (VPN). The international boundaries can be difficult to navigate. The Bethlehem Police Department and FBI were fairly confident they had identified the subject in Canada as far back as Sept. 16 but they needed to work with Canadian authorities to coordinate the investigation and to be sure they had proper evidence to take the individual into custody. The person who is alleged to be responsible for these threats, a 14-year-old resident of Halifax, Nova Scotia was arrested on Friday, Oct. 25.
Thank you to the BCMS PTO for hosting the meeting for staff and families.