THUNDER BAY – Uniformed, off-duty police officers will be present at some of the city's public schools while anonymous threats continue to be levelled against Hammarskjold High School.
The north side high school was closed again on Friday as Thunder Bay police received the eighth anonymous threat in the morning.
Board spokesman Bruce Nugent said that threat came in a little bit later than previous threats, with buses rolling in and some students already inside the building. The latest threat came one day after another one on Thursday, with that noon-hour incident prompting an afternoon hold-and-secure.
"Every one of these issues has been challenging," Nugent said. "This whole situation is becoming even more challenging than say the first day.
"There's nothing more important than student safety. We're an academic institution that believes in academic achievement but at the same time, safety is our No. 1 priority and we're going to continue to do that whether we get these types of threats or anything else that could impact the school."
Nugent said uniformed officers have been hired and have a schedule to be in some of the board's schools, not just Hammarskjold, where they will make their presence known.
"We think that will make a difference. We're hoping things like that will make staff feel better and students feel better and at the same time be there in the event of an emergency," Nugent said.
"It's not exactly a step we want to make but I think it's in the best interests of everybody that we do it right now."
Nugent said he couldn't answer why Hammarskjold continues to be targeted, responding that it was a question for Thunder Bay police.
Lakehead Public Schools on Twitter said an information meeting will be held on April 11 for parents and guardians about the threat issue."
