When a threat is made against a school, whether it is a swatting incident, a disturbing message or a student shouting something alarming, the community’s immediate reaction is a demand for answers.
As a retired police chief who has overseen numerous school-related emergencies, I understand that urgency. Parents want reassurance that their children are safe, and they want it right away. But the first minutes of any school threat are not the time for public updates. They are the time for action.
When a threat is reported, police first verify the information. Dispatch gathers as many details as possible, and officers are immediately dispatched to the school. A supervisor establishes on-scene command and coordinates the response.
Officers secure the perimeter, communicate with school administration and determine whether a lockdown, evacuation or additional tactical resources are needed. All of this occurs before any public statements are made because the priority at this stage is protecting lives, not producing commentary.
There is often confusion about who should update the community during these events, but the distinction is clear. The school district communicates internally with parents, teachers and staff. Its role includes lockdown procedures, staff notifications and student movement, such as shelter-in-place or reunification, once law enforcement provides direction.
The police, on the other hand, handle all external communication, including public information, media statements, investigative details and all press conferences. Schools do not release investigative information because they cannot legally do so. Only the police know what can be safely shared without compromising an active investigation or violating the legal protections that apply when minors are involved.
When a press conference is necessary, law enforcement leads it. School officials may stand alongside the police chief or public information officer, but the police open the briefing, provide verified facts and decide what can be released. School administrators may address educational or operational issues, but the investigative narrative always comes from law enforcement. This is not about authority. It is about ensuring accuracy, legality and public safety.
It is equally important for the public to understand what information the police can release during an active threat. We can confirm that officers are on scene, the building is being secured and students are safe. We can provide general safety instructions and reunification procedures.
Law enforcement cannot release the names of minors, unverified allegations, tactical details about officer movements, witness statements or investigative evidence. Prematurely releasing those details can jeopardize the entire response.
One of the greatest challenges today is the speed at which misinformation spreads. Within minutes, social media is filled with speculation, secondhand accounts and inaccurate screenshots. Rumors often outrun the facts, creating unnecessary panic. This is why police communication must be measured and methodical. An accurate statement issued a little later is far more valuable than a fast one that is wrong.
After the immediate threat is resolved and the investigation stabilizes, both the police and the school district owe the community a clear explanation of what occurred and how it was handled.
Transparency is important and should be provided. However, laws governing juvenile information and ongoing investigations limit what can be disclosed publicly.
Throughout my career, I have seen that the most effective and safest responses occur when everyone stays in their proper role. Schools focus on the children inside the building. Police focus on the threat and on external communication. The community looks to official sources, not rumors, for information about what is happening. That structure is not meant to withhold information. It is designed to keep students, staff and officers safe.
Police must be transparent, especially in school-related incidents, including swatting. Throughout my career, I have always advocated open and transparent policing. I believe it is fundamental to building public trust. This should include having access to juvenile records. In Illinois, the law shields all juvenile records regardless of the severity of the offense by sealing them permanently. Public access to these records is relevant in school incidents.
We need common sense reform that recognizes the realities we face. Children as young as 6 have shot or stabbed teachers in American schools. This is not conjecture. It has happened. Pretending otherwise does not make our schools safer. We need laws that protect victims and communities reflecting the world we live in and not the one we wish it were.
• Tom Weitzel is the former chief of the Riverside Police Department and spent 37 years in law enforcement. He can be reached at tqweitzel@outlook.com. Follow him on X at @chiefweitzel or TikTok at tiktok.com/@chiefweitzel.