Public safety

Police on alert after bomb threat for county schools

Vigilance urged despite 'unrealistic' info

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Nassau County police are stepping up patrols of all schools within the county after an unconfirmed and “unrealistic” threat that was reported to them on Sunday.

According to police, an individual claimed to hear an unidentified male say that he “put bombs in every school in Nassau and set them to go off tomorrow.”

Police said that although the information “seems unrealistic,” all schools are advised to be alert to suspicious packages and/or persons, and police will be intensifying their patrols on Monday, Nov. 21.

Immediate threats should be called-in to 911 and tips can be called-in to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. Suspicious social media activity can also be reported through Text-a-Tip, via the Nassau County Crime Stoppers app, which is free and available for smart phones and tablets.

Dr. Joseph Famularo, superintendent of the Bellmore School District, said, in a statement, "To follow up, we have spoken to the Chief of the Nassau County Police Department and he informed us that the matter is not creditable, and it is unconfirmed, and unrealistic. However since the police released it to the media we wanted you to know that we are aware of the situation. Security is our highest priority and we will continue to work closely with the NCPD to keep our schools safe."

As soon as we received this "unrealistic" and unsubstantiated report from the NCPD, our administrative team, security staff and custodial crews reported to all our schools early in the morning to perform a thorough inspection of all our buildings to ensure that all students and staff are safe prior to the opening of school," said John DeTommaso, superintendent of the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District. "Please know that the safety of our students and staff remain as always our top priority."