- Police are investigating threats against at least 12 schools across New Zealand
- Some schools were locked with students under desks, others evacuated
- Police do not believe there is any security risk at this stage
- Several schools have been targeted by bomb threats in recent days
- Police are investigating robberies at a total of 12 schools in New Zealand.
- Some schools and students were offered under the tables, others outside
- Police currently claim no security threat
- Some schools have been hit by explosives in recent days
Schools across New Zealand have been evacuated, locked up or closed for the day following telephone threats.
Police said an investigation is underway into threats at schools in Masterton, Kaikōura, Greymouth, Queenstown, Levin, Whanganui, Rolleston, Takaka, Geraldine, Dunstan, Ashburton and Palmerston North.
“The police take threats of this nature extremely seriously and [are] to make inquiries to determine the source of the calls,” a statement said.
At this time, police do not believe there is a security risk.
The calls come days after five North Island schools in Waikato, Thames and Gisborne received bomb threats on Tuesday and Marlborough College received a seemingly unrelated threat on Wednesday.
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Wakatipu High School in Queenstown evacuated students and staff from buildings around lunchtime on Thursday after receiving a threat — one of many schools across the country.
Debbie Jamieson / Stuff
Emergency services at Wakatipu High School in Queenstown, which was evacuated on Thursday.
Grant Congdon, principal of Horowhenua College in Levin, said the school received a bomb threat around 11:10 a.m. He said they were looking into whether they would go into lockdown and couldn’t provide more details.
‘This is scary’
Awatapu College in Palmerston North was evacuated Thursday morning. An Awatapu student, who asked to remain anonymous, said a teacher entered their class to tell students that there had been a bomb threat and that older students could leave, while 9th graders had to wait in the gym before being picked up. by their parents.
The student said they weren’t too concerned, but the teachers looked concerned.
John Bisset/Stuff
Police at Geraldine High School on Thursday morning.
“A few kids said ‘this is so scary’. I don’t know if they were serious or not.”
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Geraldine High School was closed. A parent who has two kids there said they both texted that the students were under desks and up against walls. A child had said that their teacher closed the blinds.
Students from Wakatipu High School in Queenstown were evacuated from the buildings and gathered in the fields around lunchtime. Emergency services came to the school.
The students are now allowed to go back inside.
Wakatipu High School has informed parents that Thursday’s evacuation was due to the school receiving a bomb threat call. “We believe the call was automated and came from a foreign number. The police told us that there had been more than 20 such calls,” the report said.
Matthew Hampson / Stuff
On Wednesday afternoon, the Marlborough Girls’ College was threatened.
A threat was made at Marlborough Girls’ College on Wednesday afternoon. Police said they were working with the school and spoke to one person. The school said the threat was not made by phone and there was no indication it was related to Thursday’s threats.
Parents argue to send children to school
In an email to parents and students on Wednesday evening, Principal Mary Jeanne-Lynch said the school had received an “anonymous threat” earlier that day.
“I have to share with you that we received an anonymous threat against the school today. We have contacted the New Zealand Police and they are now investigating this incident and supporting them,” she said in the email.
“I understand that this may concern you, and rest assured that both the police and I are taking this matter very seriously. Police are not concerned about the safety of students and staff at school [on Thursday].”
Martin De Ruyter/Stuff
Schools across the country have been the target of telephone threats.
However, parents discussed on social media on Wednesday evening whether to send their daughters to school on Thursday.
One parent, who wished to remain anonymous, said: stuff she did not send her daughter to school on Thursday and was concerned she would be notified hours after the incident.
“I feel that parents of the school should be well aware of the threat that has been made,” she said.
Lynch told stuff on Thursday she “completely understood” that the threat was a concern for the parents and said it was a “major concern for me and our staff”.
“But I would say I have full confidence in the police, in their approach, and they have assured us that students and staff can go to school safely today, tomorrow and beyond.”
She couldn’t provide more details about the threat itself, saying she was following police’s advice not to share further information, “as any sensible person would”.
“They have their reasons for that and I don’t want to alarm people, but I also want to be transparent and make sure parents are aware of what’s going on at school, so it’s a balance between the two,” she said.
Lynch said there was “no reason” for the school to go into lockdown on Wednesday following the threat, as a lockdown would involve “very different circumstances”.
A police spokesperson said school lockdowns were mostly voluntary, rather than something the police asked for.