Police to step up presence at local schools over next few days, DeLand mayor says

DeLand Mayor Chris Cloudman said via social media that people should expect to see more police officers and guardians at local schools in the next few days because of recent incidents.

Authorities have responded to multiple threat reports in recent weeks.

Police said they arrested a DeLand Middle School student in September after he was found with a gun in his bag on campus, police said. The school went on lockdown after a report came in about the weapon through the FortifyFL app, which allows students to report suspicious activity.

Authorities quickly found the child and took him to the Volusia Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Daytona Beach. No one reported the student threatening anyone.

On Wednesday, police responded to DeLand Middle School again to investigate another FortifyFL tip but found no threat, according to the DeLand Police Department. The school was placed on hold and the Volusia County Sheriff's Office responded along with the police department.

According to Volusia County Schools, "A 'hold' means that while individuals are not moving around campus, all doors are still locked and classroom instruction can continue. There is not an immediate threat. A 'lockdown' means that there is an immediate threat and further safety precautions to secure rooms are taken."

On Sept. 27, DeLand High School went on lockdown as officers investigated a threat. Officers responded with K-9s and determined that the threat was unfounded.

Cloudman said this week tips came in multiple times through the FortifyFL app about DeLand Middle School that caused the school to go on hold. None of the tips led to a real threat being discovered, he said.

"I hear about them because I have a daughter at DeLand Middle and a daughter at DeLand High," he said.

Cloudman said officials don't want people to ignore concerns, so it's better to be on the safe side.

He released the statement in part to reassure people about safety.

"As a parent myself I feel safe as far as my children being in the schools," he said. "We have a great relationship with law enforcement with our local schools."

Cloudman said in a Facebook post, shared by the city of DeLand and its police department, that Volusia County and DeLand authorities worked quickly to keep children safe in response to the incidents. As part of those efforts, people will probably see more law enforcement officers and guardians at schools for several days.

"I want to assure all of our community members that the DeLand Police Department and its officers are committed to ensuring the safety and security of our children," he said. "Those who decide to make these threats will face very serious consequences that will follow them well into their future."

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Cloudman called the incidents "frustrating" and said on social media that he knows the community is "better than this." He encouraged parents to talk with their children about the consequences they will face for making prank calls or threats of violence.

"At the same time, if someone sees something, say something and report it immediately to the school/teachers," he said. "I have always maintained that this city’s greatest quality is its people. I am confident that working together as a community we can move past these challenges."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: DeLand mayor says more police will be at schools because of incidents