Macomb County prosecutor working to end hoax school threats, considers holding parents accountable
MACOMB COUNTY (CBS DETROIT) – Almost 50 people in Macomb County have been charged with making such threats, a fifty percent jump from last year. Macomb County is working to have parents and students understand those hoax threats have serious consequences.
"Today there were two or three schools closed down when's it going to stop?" Peter Lucido, Macomb County Prosecutor said.
And so Lucido is implementing a so-called 'one, two punch' to curb the ongoing hoax threats targeting schools.
"Parents need to really step up their game or they're responsible for the actions of their children.," Lucido said.
In 2021 he charged 25 people for making such threats, so far this year 47 individuals including a 13-year-old who allegedly threatened to shoot up three schools in Warren and Sterling Heights.
In Macomb County, law enforcement is going into the classroom and letting students know they could face a slew of charges for making a fake threat.
–communicating a threat of terrorism, a 20-year felony
–calling in a bomb threat, a 4-year felony
–malicious use of an electronic device, a 6-month misdemeanor
–threatening violence against a school employee, or student, a one-year misdemeanor
Lucido plans to have their parents face consequences as well.
"If they had a talk with them, and they're still going to break the law, parents, you're going to have to pay out of your pocket," Lucido told CBS Detroit. "There's ordinances that are being changed right now, in the municipalities to hold them accountable for police, fire, and the department when the DPW goes out. What I'm going to tell everybody is, I think that the schools ought to go ahead and recoup the expenses and the cost for the school as it relates to paying the school back, because why should taxpayers that didn't break the law, have it come out of their pocket?"
Besides making them pay up Lucido will dole out a "hero award" when a student or staff member reports a threat to the school.
The recipients' will remains anonymous just like the 855-OK2SAY hotline.
"And after you call the number, it's anonymous. After we go ahead and shut this down, students will be helping themselves so they don't have to stay in school an extra day, or two or three or more in the summer, when they've already been taken out of school," Lucido said.