Charlotte County sheriff aims to bring awareness to school safety

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. (WWSB) - Sheriff Bill Prummell has partnered with Charlotte County public schools to bring awareness to the seriousness of both making and sharing school threats.

With the recent uptick in school shootings and fake threats, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office produced a video encouraging students and their parents to pay close attention to any threats made online that should be taken seriously.

“This video is not only produced for the students of Charlotte County Public Schools, but also for their parents who need to be aware of their children’s social media use. A message or a phone call threatening an event at one of our schools is not a prank, or a joke,” says school spokesman Mike Riley.

“I urge students to always report suspicious remarks made in person or activity seen online. Providing your child a safe place to report this activity whether it be to parents or their school resource officer is crucial to preventing deadly events within our schools. As a community, we must protect our children from the threat of violence,” Sheriff Bill Prummell said.

To report a threat in Charlotte County, call CCSO at 941-639-0013 or 911 in an emergency. Charlotte County Public Schools also utilizes the Fortify app which is accessible via their website. FortifyFL automatically routes your tip report to the appropriate law enforcement agencies and school officials.