Calcasieu Parish District Attorney Stephen Dwight touched on the “hot topic” of school threats during a recent speech to the Republican Women of Southwest Louisiana.

He said that he, Calcasieu Parish Stitch Guillory and Lake Charles Police Shawn Caldwell have been busy getting the word out about the consequences of  students who make school threats in the future.

“I want the youth and their families to understand that making a threat of any kind is a life-altering issue that echoes far beyond the walls of the school,” he said.

Arrest in three days

When arrested for a school threat, students may find themselves in a courtroom within three days, according to Dwight. If found guilty, repercussions are severe, imprisonment up to their 21st birthday. For those 17 and older, the stakes are even higher — up to 15 years behind bars, along with hefty fines that could amount to thousands of dollars.

The CPSO alone has responded to more than 10 calls since school started in the fall. Each case is different, according to Kayla Vincent, spokesperson for CPSO.

“School threats, whether made online, in person, or through other means, are taken very seriously,” Guillory said. “Even if it’s meant as a joke, making any threat toward a school, its students, or staff is a crime that carries real consequences. This is why we urge parents to talk to their children about the seriousness of making threats.”

“It’s truly unfortunate that we’re in a position where these kinds of measures need to be taken,” Dwight said. “However, as difficult as it is, we cannot ignore the disruption and potential harm these actions cause to the educational environment.”

The role of law enforcement is to investigate and ensure safety, while the District Attorney’s office helps guide appropriate legal outcomes; however, school threats impact systems more than these two offices — and these two offices won’t solve the problem alone, he said.

It takes more than the law

“Every child has the capacity to change,” Dwight said, “and I believe with the right interventions, many of these students can unlearn the harmful behaviors they have exhibited. However, it requires a collective effort.”

“We all have a responsibility to ensure our youth have access to every opportunity to ensure a successful future. LCPD stands ready to be a part of any initiative that helps prevent any type of situation that a juvenile might be facing that leads to them feeling the need to make a threat against their classmates or school,” Caldwell said.

“It will take parents, teachers, counselors and the broader community working together. At the end of the day, these young people can be guided toward better choices, but it’s a long process that requires support at every stage, the D.A. said.