The start of the 2024-25 school year has seen a rise in threats at schools across the United States. Brett Garland is director of the South Dakota School Safety Program, within the Office of Homeland Security. He advises people to “Report, don’t repost,” meaning DO report the threat to school officials and local law enforcement and DO NOT repost it on social media. https://media-cdn.socastsrm.com/wordpress/wp-content/blogs.dir/2626/files/2024/10/threats1.mp3 “We would prefer that schools, parents, students, community members, immediately get in touch with their law enforcement agency if they receive information regarding a threat. Definitely we would prefer they not share those threats in any way.” The School Safety Center offers behavioral threat assessment training, teaching school staff and educators to recognize potential signs for violent behavior. Garland says more than 200 schools have already participated. https://media-cdn.socastsrm.com/wordpress/wp-content/blogs.dir/2626/files/2024/10/threats2.mp3 “This training that will help schools hopefully interrupt somebody on that pathway to violence, before it gets to any sort of active attack.” Garland says the School Safety Center training teaches staff how to develop a “multidisciplinary behavioral threat assessment team,” to identify and evaluate threats before deciding on the right intervention. But he adds there’s no specific profile for someone who may be making threats. An anonymous tip line for concerns in South Dakota, called “Safe2Say,” is available online or by phone (1-844-3SD-SAFE/1-844-373-7233) 24/7. Threatening a school, school transit or other place of assembly is a Class 4 felony in South Dakota. Story courtesy of the Greater Dakota News Service.