A BHS School Resource Officer was able to quickly de-escalate a situation that involved verbal threats made by a student, who was allegedly in possession of a knife in their backpack.
During the incident, a “hold in place” order was put in place to keep students in their classrooms until an All Clear was announced.
In a letter to parents, Superintendent Jason Smith said the student was removed from the school.
“After the student’s removal, we elevated to a “secure” status, requiring all students to remain indoors while our teachers and administrative team maintained heightened situational awareness, as advised by the Batavia Police Department. As with any school day, our exterior doors remain locked, and outside visitors must enter and register through the Main Office. We are working closely with the Batavia Police Department to investigate this matter further, and our Code of Conduct will be followed. The BPD will continue to provide additional police presence.”
As this situation involved a juvenile, Chief Shawn Heubusch is unable to release any information about charges or the student’s identity.
Heubusch says having School Resource Officers in school are important in situations like today.
“Having an SRO in the school ensured that any threat that may have existed was addressed immediately with appropriate resources. SRO’s are specially trained in de-escalation and receive additional training to handle these types of situations,” Heubusch said.
Superintendent Smith assured parents that safety protocols and response systems worked effectively.
“Our staff and administrative team acted quickly and appropriately to ensure student safety. Our ongoing partnership with the Batavia Police Department, including our School Resource Officer program, remains a vital component of our school safety strategy. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and maintain necessary security measures.”