ST ANN, Mo. — After continued threats at schools across the area some families are considering drastic measures to keep their kids safe.
At Ritenour High School, it’s not unusual to see a St. Ann Police squad car in the parking lot.
“We want parents to know their kids are safe,” St. Ann Police Capt. Blake Kerrigan said.
Monday afternoon, multiple students saw a threat against Ritenour posted online and immediately notified the school resource officer.
“That’s our first line of defense right there,” Capt. Kerrigan said. “These SRO’s are making relationships with students and students are comfortable coming to them with these concerns.”
According to Capt. Blake Kerrigan with St. Ann Police, investigators were able to trace that threat to a Ritenour freshman who was arrested within a matter of hours.
“Detectives are dialed on these types of investigations because we’ve had so many of them recently,” Kerrigan said.
“We got emails and text messages every day since September 13th,” a parent who asked not to be identified said. “It’s been every day.”
One parent who asked that we conceal her identity told 5 On Your Side that due to recent threats, her kids no longer have peace of mind.
“She’s going to school and constantly having fear of somebody coming in and doing something dangerous to her and her classmates,” the parent said.
Though she was complimentary of how police have handled the influx of hoax calls, she believes the district could do more.
“They don’t really go through book bags,” the woman said. “My daughter said they look through the book bags, but they don’t really look. Kids can go through the side door after they get checked, so there’s not enough security.”
That’s why she’s made the tough decision to pull her daughter out of Ritenour in favor of home schooling.
“She doesn’t want to go back,” the anonymous parent said. “I’m not going to force her to go back. It’s triggering to her.”
According to Kerrigan, St. Ann Police are currently working on programs with both the Ritenour and Pattonville school districts to better educate students about the legal issues associated with posting threats online, which is a federal crime.