Governor Justice launches School Safety Task Force in response to increasing amount of school threats

Jessica Phillips
·3 min read

CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — Governor Justice launched a School Safety Task Force in response to the increased amount of school threats that occurred throughout the state in September 2024.

According to a press release, Governor Justice told the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security to create a task force to deal with an increasing number of school threats in West Virginia. The task force would gather and analyze reported school threats by educational institution, county, and Safe Schools Unit Region to make sure that any response would be detailed and coordinated.

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The press release stated that the agencies involved in the School Safety Task Force would include:

  • West Virginia Fusion Center

  • West Virginia State Police (WVSP)

  • West Virginia Safe Schools Unit

  • WVSP – West Virginia Intelligence Exchange (WVIX)

  • Federal Law Enforcement Partners

  • West Virginia Department of Education

  • West Virginia Prevention Resource Officer Program

Not only will the task force work to gather and analyze reported school threats, they would also contact county prosecutors in each county to identify all arrests and juvenile petitions that would be related to school threats that have been filed.

The data collection would help make sure that the legal process for people who make school threats would be quick and transparent.

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According to the press release from Governor Justice, a communication connection room will be created to give all School Safety Task Force partners a centralized hub to help with real-time communication.

The communication connection room would be activated in case of reported critical situations, as a way to help with response times and coordination between various agencies. The press release stated that the task force would also help share any important information with necessary partners so that there would be an effective and unified approach to the safety of schools in the Mountain State.

Governor Justice wanted to make sure that students, communities, and educators in West Virginia are safe, and ensure that support and resources are given to make sure that the schools remain a safe place for students to learn.

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The press release from Governor Justice stated that the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security and the West Virginia Fusion Center would give out more information when it becomes available and that 911 should be called if there is an immediate threat or if law enforcement is needed.

Governor Justice also stated in the press release that West Virginia partnered with My Mobile Witness to add a “see something, send something” reporting system on mobile devices. The See Send app can be found on Google Play and the App Store.

The app can also be used for web-based reporting that is not from cell phones. After the app is downloaded to a device, members can enter details such as name, state, and phone number, and the person can then send a tip for topics such as “School Threat or Safety Issues,” “Crime/Suspicious Activity, ” or help for “Suicide or Addiction.”

App users can also submit information anonymously if necessary.

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