El Paso County Attorney’s office reminds public of the consequences of making false threats to schools

EL PASO, Texas – The El Paso County Attorney's office tells abc-7 they will seek serious punishment for juveniles making false threats against schools.

This comes after the scare at Bel Air high school Thursday, after rumors of an armed person with a gun circulated, which led to a school lockdown. Police said it was a hoax.

ABC-7 spoke with the chief of the juvenile unit at the El Paso County Attorney's office, Emily Dawson, who said this is something her office did not used to prosecute, but has now become necessary.

Over the last couple years they have seen an increase in false reports in the county.

Dawson says that after a mass school shooting takes place anywhere in the U.S. they see an increase of copycats.

According to Dawson, the scare at Bel Air would be deemed as a false alarm report, which is a felony-level offense if you initiate it and it relates to a school.

Children between the ages of 10 and 17 can be placed on probation until they turn 18, or could be sent to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department and be held there until they turn 19, according to Dawson.

In juvenile cases she said parents can be held responsible for restitution costs up to $25,000.

She said responding to these false reports can take away resources from the rest of the community.

“We respond to every single one, and our law enforcement responds to every single one like it is actually what happened in Uvalde, we have to, that is our commitment to the community and we take them seriously and prosecute them because the more resources we pull towards things that did not happen, the less resources are available if something does,” said Dawson.

El Paso County Attorney's office urges residents to report threats of violence against students or teachers by calling the school police or 9-1-1, and to save the evidence by taking a picture or video.