Police are investigating after a threat was made against Lakefield College School on Monday morning (May 25).
Shortly after 10 a.m., Peterborough County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received a call from the school reporting that it had received a threatening phone call.
In a social media post, the school said it immediately initiated lockdown procedures after receiving the phone call and contacted police.
OPP officers arrived on scene minutes later and, following a sweep of the school, determined the threat was unfounded and confirmed there was no immediate risk to the safety of the students or staff. No details were released on the nature of the threat.
The OPP Major Crime Unit is assisting with the ongoing investigation into the source of the threat. Investigators would like to speak with anyone who may have information regarding the investigation, who can call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122.
“The OPP advised the school that similar false threat calls targeting schools have recently occurred across the United States, Europe, and more recently in Ontario,” the school noted in its social media post. “Authorities continue to actively investigate these incidents.”
In Cobourg, at least four threat reports were made at local schools during April, including one at an elementary school and three at a high school. Cobourg police believe all four incidents were linked and are instances of the criminal act of swatting, where someone reports false or misleading information to police to prompt an emergency response, often to someone’s home, business, or school.
The term “swatting” comes from SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics), which are specialized police units trained to respond to high-risk situations like hostage crises or armed standoffs. Swatting emerged in the early 2000s within online communities, especially competitive gaming and internet forums, when disputes escalated into real-world harassment.
Because police treat all reports of threats or potential dangers to community safety seriously and respond accordingly, swatting can potentially lead to property damage, trauma, injury, or even death.
