Jackson police beefed up at schools after Florida mass shooting

JACKSON - Police advised parents and students that rumors of a student threatening his classmates were unsubstantiated.

Nevertheless, police said they would increase patrols around township schools following a school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead. They also promised to investigate "rumors or allegations," according to a statement from police Capt. Steven Laskiewicz.

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"The police department takes all allegations of violence seriously, but there has been no specific information received of any threats being made to, witnessed or overheard by anyone, and no information presented to investigating officers of any threats made on social media which would give the officers reason to take law enforcement action," Laskiewicz wrote in Friday's statement.

School officials also reassured parents in a letter sent Thursday.

"Please know that if there was cause for concern, we would not hesitate to take action to protect our schools," the letter read. "Jackson police will have an increased presence in and around our schools again today, to provide a comforting and reassuring presence in our schools," the letter read.

District officials confirmed that there had been a decrease in attendance Friday, particularly at one of the two public high schools in the township.

"Attendance on the Friday before a three-day weekend during fly season would typically be lower than average, but we did also see an increase in absenteeism from Jackson Memorial High School students who stayed home today due to the rumored threats," Allison Erwin, a spokeswoman for the school district, said in an email.

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