“End It. Don”t Send It.” NR17330dm

The Los Angeles Police Department Partners with Los Angeles School Police Department and Introduces Educational Campaign “End It. Don’t Send It.”

Los Angeles: Social media threats by students towards their schools and classmates are a persistent problem for law enforcement, often the result of an ill-conceived prank with no violent intentions. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), in partnership with Los Angeles School Police Department (LASPD), created “End It. Don’t Send It.” This educational campaign looks to address this problem by educating students, parents and faculty of the consequences in hopes of reducing the frequency of such threats.

Our message is one of prevention through education. As a leader in the law enforcement community, the LAPD works with the LASPD in policing the largest school district in the State of California. We want to educate kids and prevent them from making a very big mistake; one with the potential to haunt them well into their future. A violation of California Penal Code 422, “Criminal Threats”, is a Felony Crime. This penal code section states, in part:

“A criminal threat has been committed by any person who willfully threatens to commit a crime which will result in death or great bodily injury to another person, with the specific intent that the statement, made verbally, in writing, or by means of an electronic communication device, is to be taken as a threat, even if there is no intent of actually carrying it out; and, thereby causes that person reasonably to be in sustained fear for his or her own safety or for his or her immediate family’s safety.”

Most kids interviewed will claim they were “just joking,” but the problem with “just joking” is that it causes very real fear for the recipient(s) of the message(s). A tremendous amount of resources are dedicated to locating the perpetrator as quickly as possible to avert any potential harm to the victim(s). If we determine the actions meet the criteria for criminal threats, the consequences may include arrest and expulsion from school.

To our young people, when you think about sending out a threatening message, keep this in mind. End It. Don’t Send It. #endschoolviolence

For additional information, please call LAPD, Major Crimes Division at (213) 486-7280.