AHS Bomb Threat Demonstrates Cooperation Between Administrators and Police

ELLEN LI
News Editor

On Friday, Jan. 13, AHS was put on lockdown at around 11:40 am when “an unidentified person called [the] school and […] threatened that there was a bomb on campus,” according to the SGV Tribune’s interview with Alhambra police Sgt. Jerry Johnson.
When the lockdown initially began, many of the staff and students were caught off guard.
“When I first heard here was a bomb threat, I didn’t think it was real and I thought it was a drill,” sophomore Marilynn Bach said.
Students and staff were later evacuated to the track field on Fourth Street as the police searched the school for an explosive device.
Once the police conducted a “thorough search” of the campus and officials were confident that there were no dangerous devices on campus, students were then permitted to return to the campus at about 2:30 PM.
However, no information regarding the suspect or the motives behind the bomb threat was available, and the investigation remains ongoing.
According to the National School Safety and Security Services, one major issue facing most school districts is deciding whether or not to evacuate a school on bomb threats. Many threats have been made by students who aim to disrupt the school day; however, all threats must be treated seriously and thoroughly investigated.
The protocol in the event of such an occurrence varies from school to school and is adjusted to the different circumstances of each situation.
“In a situation like [the recent bomb threat] where there is a concern on campus, AHS administration works in conjunction with the Alhambra police department to make decisions to ensure the safety of the students,” Assistant Principal Jeremy Infranca said. “In this case, it was decided that the best thing to do was to evacuate campus.”
While the investigation remains ongoing, it has been made clear that the instigator of this event will be severely punished and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.