MAINE, USA — The last thing a parent wants to hear is that there is an active shooter at their child's school, even if the threat is a hoax. But that's exactly what happened on Tuesday.
"Communities around the state received what we believe to be hoax-style phone calls," Maine Department of Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck said.
Per Maine State law, each school district has to have a comprehensive plan in the event of an active shooter. Police told NEWS CENTER Maine that having those plans in place made a big difference — police credit those plans with a positive outcome.
"This went so well because those trainings and those relationships already exist," Sauschuck added.
Part of that training includes school resource officers.
"We partner with the Maine Criminal Justice Academy to train school resource officers," Jonathan Shapiro, director of the Maine School Safety Center said.
He added that SROs are trained a little differently than other officers, including learning how to better interact with kids and teens.
"We know a lot today about the science of brain development and how youth view the world and how they react to situations which is different than adults," Shapiro added.
The Maine School Safety Center said it recommends that every district should have SROs because they can make a huge difference across the board.
"I think anytime you can have a school resource officer in place in the school. Not only for situations like this, but also to let the students know that police officers aren't just there as armed security, but to liaise between the department and the students," one police officer told NEWS CENTER Maine after Tuesday hoax threats.
As seen on Tuesday, school resource officers can serve as a trusted connection between law enforcement and students, ready to help if the worst happens.
