Police report 250 threats of school violence after Kauhajoki shootings

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The Police Department of the Ministry of the Interior has recorded 250 threats against educational institutions or their personnel since the September 2008 school killings in Kauhajoki.
      Most of the threats have been without foundation.
      Threats of violence have led to the evacuations or other police measures in at least 80 schools.
     
Chief Inspector of Police Robin Lardot at the Ministry of the Interior, says that a few school threats come to the attention of police each week, but “fortunately the pace has declined”.
      Lardot says that the “zero tolerance” policy adopted by police in cases of threats has led to an end to threats made as a joke.
     
Threats have come from beyond actual schools. In the past week, a bomb threat was made against the alternative service centre in Lapinjärvi, where conscientious objectors perform part of their alternative national service. The threat proved to be groundless, and no explosives were found on the premises.
      Nevertheless, about 80 people were evacuated from the centre when the threat came.
      Most of the threats that have been made since the beginning of this year have been in the provinces of South Finland and West Finland.
     
Perpetrators of unfounded reports of danger and illegal threats who are caught have been sentenced to fines. Most of the perpetrators have been under the age of 18.
      Local prosecutors are still considering whether or not to file charges in a number of cases. State Prosecutor Mika Illman says that no comparative summary of the various cases has been made.
      The office is closely monitoring developments on the school threat front, and Deputy Prosecutor General Jorma Kalske sent a memo to prosecutors in late October, calling for unified handling of cases.
     
Kalske decides on whether or not to press charges in cases where the Internet or other media outlets are used for passing on the threat.
      Seven such cases are under preparation at the office of Mika Illman.
      By the end of last year, ten such cases of threats came to the attention of the highest prosecutor, and charges were pressed against five people.
      Two were acquitted of making false alarms, and three others were sentenced to pay fines.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Breaking News: Police officer in Kauhajoki shooting case to be charged with negligence (27.1.2009)
  Police officer who let school shooter keep weapon faces criminal charges (1.10.2008)
  Kauhajoki tries to get by despite pain and sorrow (26.9.2008)
  Eleven die in shooting bloodbath (24.9.2008)

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