Dropping the bomb on threats

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Dogged police work finally uncovered cell phones that officers say were used to phone in a recent rash of bomb threats targeting Richmond County schools.


More importantly, they have arrested two kids they believe are responsible.


The calls were made from cell phones that were out of service, but authorities cleverly traced the electronic serial number embedded in all cell phones to find them.


Now two Glenn Hills Middle School pupils face charges of making terroristic threats, and a judge and a school disciplinary tribunal will separately determine their guilt or innocence.


When the guilty parties are found, they should be treated as what they are - terrorists. We're not talking about some whoopie-cushion-type prank here. These calls were threats of violence to instill fear in innocent people. If we want to correctly address all terrorism on a federal level, lawbreakers should suffer the federal penalty for phoning in a fake bomb threat - up to 10 years in jail, and up to $250,000 in fines.


Harsh? You bet. Each perpetrator needs to be tried as an adult because of the sheer gravity of the offense. This isn't some class clown putting a tack on the teacher's chair. This is a sadistic, sociopathic delinquent who apparently can't muster the brain power to determine right from wrong.


Whoever phoned in these bomb threats deserves a king-size punishment as an adult.

Comments

robaroo

10 years in jail is way too harsh for the jerks - what are you thinking about? I think a month in juvenile detention, followed by repeating a year of school makes more sense.

patriciathomas

lol, robaroo. And maybe force the perps to eat school lunch every day. That'll really discourage this unbelievably expensive and unfunny prank from ever happening again.

patriciathomas

I think the best sentence for these kids (who are obviously on the wrong path) is to finish their school career in the most strict military school available. They'll learn that actions have consequences as well as the 3 r's. That would be a whole lot more then they are going to learn otherwise and maybe they won't wind up in jail.

johnsmith

I'm with you on your 7:03 comment, patty. Assess the fine on the parents, take the money and use it to send these kids to Riverside or something. They'll be too tired to make "prank" calls. But 10 years and $250k is such an overreaction that it borders on ludicrous.

pofwe

When they are found guilty bring 'em to my house. They will be examples of "gentle people" before the school year ends. They may not walk without a limp & their friends may call 'em "gimp" but no more threats will they quip. They'll learn to bow before the "whip." :-)

critter

Once again, the AC editorial board shows such a complete lack of common sense you wonder who issued them driver's licenses. PT is way more on the mark - great idea!

getalife

I'm not sure what is the answer to stopping these bomb threats. I know that suspending them for a few days or sending them to alternative school is not working. I think it will take more than a slap on the wrist to get their attention and stop the bomb threats. We need some level of school/boot camp to send these kids.

DeborahElliott2

LOL pofwe, I agree, I will keep them here too. I got lots of work for them to do, they would rise and shine at 5am everyday and work till 9:30 PM everynight, and just so there is no rebelling, I too can crack the whip! Although I still like the idea that the kids pay the fine no matter how ridiculous it sounds, due to the fact it cost that much to have the fire department and bomb squads come out and check the places. That is not ridiculous as this is how much it actually costs our city for false alarms. I don't want to pay that out of my tax dollars, would you???

Da Voice Inside Your Head

It sounds like a lack of HOME Training to me. Make the Parents pay a fine and do a few weekends in Jail. Put the little Hethens in YDC till they turn 18. Not only is there the cost involved, but everytime a Vehicle uses their Emergency Equipment, the chance of being involved in an accident increase 2 or 3 Hundred %. Also while they are tied up on this nonsense, they cannot respond to any other Emergency calls. What if your house recieved more damage because the Fire equipment nearest you was tied up and another had to respond from across town? Not funny? This is not a joke or a prank. These holligans should get a VERY Severe Punishment to discourage others from the same behavior.

disgusted

you people are just a little bit twisted. there are a lot of very good parants out there that have taught their kids the right way but they still do the wrong things when they are out of their parents sight. how is the parent responsible for that .

MJDW

Why make the parents pay the fine? Make the youth pay for their actions. Let's see put thire pictures on a billboard outside of the school and get a job to pay for the Fire dept. and Bomb squard responding to each call.

dani

This just gets worse by the day. Now the 2 boys are charged with 10 calls and 19 school evacuations. I have no idea what I would consider a suitable punishment. I am just glad it's not my kids, (and they should be even happier).

Da Voice Inside Your Head

Parents are responsible for their Children till they are 18! If you want to have children then be responsible for them.This could be one of those cases where the parents tried their best but the kid is just bad. But those are few and far between. Most of the time it can be traced to lack of home training. The school system and the public in general are not responsible for raising your children.Folks need to think about that before they engage in the act that can cause children.

Bizarro

I think a one year stint at the YDC and a fine of a few thousand dollars would be a good start, then some sort of public humiliation to leave an impression on their peers. I understand the problem is severe in Columbia county schools also. What I hate is the little losers are dragging others down by impeding their education. Perhaps a Stock in the public square at Glenville Middle so the students can see their punishment. Well we can't burn them at the stake.

noway

It should be a serious punishment. How are these school bomb threats any different than a threat in a mall, or an office building? It's not. It's not funny and all of these fake bomb threats only make teachers and administrators numb to the threats. Not punishing these kids harshly now, will only make things worse for the victims if, God forbid, something ever does happen in the future. Put them in Juvie and throw away the key.

dani

Fining the parents could be a good thing. You can't say that parents can't control 12 and 13 year olds. And how did they get the prepaid cell phones? The parents of these delinquents should be required to answer some serious questions regarding their parenting technique.

Craig Spinks

Inarguably, bomb threats interrupt classtime and impede student learning. But hey are arguably not the most severe threat to academic achievement in our local public schools. The daily, frequent class interruptions initiated by undisciplined and uninterested pupils may do more to harm student learning than the bomb threats. Of course, because bomb threats are more dramatic, they "deserve" more ink and airtime from our ratings-driven local media than the less thrilling issue of the quality of the learning environment in our local classrooms.

jshep67

I'm very glad to see (almost) everyone in agreement here. Are you LISTENING comissioners & school board? SEND A MESSAGE LOUD AND CLEAR: THIS IS NO LONGER TOLERATED!

rufus

Undisciplined and uninterested students don't kill hundreds of students

dani

Now a 14 year old has been arrested of making calls. GOOD job, RCPD.!!

jshep67

What's your option, dani?

dani

jshep..I have no idea. It's a shame, anyhow. Poor kids with no guidance, just left to their own devices.

jamesreed

why should someone be charged as an adult based on the nature of the offence. commiting a serious offence does not make a person more mature. And fineing their parents is not a solution unless they are deemed negligent. these children are not old enough to drive a car or rent R rated movies. all of a sudden they are adults because they did something reprehensible. this is a serious offence, however their punishment should reflect their legal status as juveniles

jamesj

werent there bomb threats at Colombine and the Virginia School before they gunned everyone down...

getalife

How do you determine if the bomb threat is real or from an undisciplined or uninterested student?? You can't! If you don't evacuate the school and it was a real bomb and it blew the school up and several kids are killed, then there would be the outcry from the people that would blame the school for not taking it seriously. The punishment should be severe enough that others will not want to copy these kids.

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