Task force created to address school threats in West Virginia

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — After dozens of threats against schools in West Virginia and other states , the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security is creating a task force of multiple agencies to address concerns, according to a press release from Gov. Jim Justice’s (R-WV) office.

The School Safety Task Force will be made up of people from the West Virginia Fusion Center, the State Police, the Safe Schools Unit, the Department of Education, the Prevention Resource Officer Program, as well as the West Virginia State Police’s West Virginia Intelligence Exchange and “federal law enforcement partners,” according to the press release.

The governor’s office said they are getting all information about reported school threats in the state, including which county, institution, and Safe Schools Unit Region to “ensure a thorough and coordinated response.”

The press release said the task force will be reaching out to each county’s prosecutor to identify all arrests made in connection to the swarm of threats made.

The task force’s partners will also have a communication connect room that can be used in the event of an incident. They also said they are “committed to sharing all relevant information with our partners to ensure a unified and effective approach to school safety.”

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