Eye on the FBI: How school threats are addressed

Eye on the FBI: How school threats are addressed

School threats are reported and the FBI and law enforcement spring into action but there is usually little to no time to determine if that's actually credible – so how does the FBI know if it's real?

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — School threats are reported and the FBI and law enforcement spring into action but there is usually little to no time to determine if that’s actually credible.

That is how the FBI addresses threats. To Justin Garris, the Special Agent In-Charge at the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, they treat every threat as if it’s real to protect people.

“These are more common than we would like and the victims are not only law enforcement responding but, more importantly, those that are going to school,” Garris said. “We treat every threat as if it’s real, so working with our local, state, federal, tribal partners… We will do a threat assessment and or an investigation and we will do numerous investigative steps to determine if it’s real or not.”

It takes up a lot of time, Garris summed up. If it is a hoax, his office will pursue possible federal criminal charges.

“They can get up to five years in jail,” he said. “We’ve done that countless times without giving specific examples but it’s unfortunate that it’s as common as we would like it not to be.”

If you see something, say something to 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-3255). You can also send tips to tips.fbi.gov .

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