Gloucester County Schools Told To Shelter In Place Friday: Police

GLOUCESTER COUNTY, NJ — Two school districts in Gloucester County were ordered to “shelter in place” Friday afternoon, according to police.

Schools in both Washington Township and Mantua Township sheltered in place after anonymous threats were made against the districts, police said on Friday.

The order, which was lifted just before 1:30 p.m., came after police departments throughout the county received anonymous threats against schools, Washington Township police said in a social media post.

None of the threats were specific to Washington Township. Police are now working to trace the origins of the calls, police said.

"We will follow a normal dismissal this afternoon," the Washington Township Public School District said on social media. "Have a safe and enjoyable weekend."

The Mantua Public School District also released a statement.

"Threat was not specific to any existing school in Mantua, but instead referenced the "Mantua High School," the district said on social media. "We do not believe there is anything at all to be worried about right now. All the kids are safe inside and do not know anything is going on, we have school resource officers in all public schools, the patrol shifts will be maintaining added patrols and an extra presence during release, and there are many other things about the call lead us to believe it is not a credible threat and possibly a 'swatting' type incident. If you are unfamiliar with what this is, it is the action or practice of making a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of armed police officers to a particular address."

During the “shelter in place,” police were assigned to every school in the township to ensure their safety. A “shelter in place” allows for normal school operations, but the doors in all district buildings are locked, and no visitors are allowed.