2018-10-24 19:05:57
This post is in reference to the recent incident at Bartow Middle School where two juveniles were arrested yesterday for a plot to harm other students. No students or staff were harmed. An important message from Bartow Police Chief Joe Hall: Parents and guardians of children in our Bartow Schools: I understand that the recent news of a plot to kill students at Bartow Middle School is troubling. In fact, it shook me to my core when I was notified of it. However, I want to make it clear that your children are our most precious citizens here in the City and we do everything we can, every single day to make sure our children are safe. We work very closely with the Polk County School Board and I want to assure you that I will do everything in my power to ensure safety. I am very proud of the staff at Bartow Middle School and my staff at the Police Department for thwarting this plot from becoming a tragedy. There are several measures in place to make sure our children are safe and that ALL threats of violence are addressed. In this isolated incident, these protocols worked. I believe in these protocols and we will continue to follow them. Remember, if you see something, say something. It worked in this incident. Joe Hall