District Attorney addresses threat to Portola High School ceremony
By Debra Moore
A rumor circulated last Friday that a threat had been made to Portola High School’s graduation ceremony scheduled for that evening. On Monday morning, June 13, District Attorney David Hollister addressed this particular threat, as well as the protocols that are in place to address all such incidents.
Hollister said that an anonymous call was received the day of the ceremony, and an immediate threat assessment was launched. “There is a good process in place,” he said, “and everyone involved acted quickly. “I continue to be impressed with how the Sheriff’s Office (both detectives and patrol deputies) responds to threats in a thorough and timely manner.
Ultimately it was determined not to be a credible threat and the ceremony proceeded as planned.
However, Hollister said it’s the perfect opportunity to remind people to speak out if they hear anything of concern.
“If you see something, say something,” Hollister said. That’s the message that officials hope becomes a mantra.
Hollister said that this summer officials will be focused on honing their response to school threats. While there is already a good response plan in place, Hollister said they want to focus on “ferreting out people in advance.”
He also said that the plan has to be threefold: threat assessment, action, and then therapeutics, by providing the appropriate mental health services.
