Police investigate threat against Newberg High

NEWBERG - The Newberg-Dundee Police Department investigated a threat of violence against Newberg High School allegedly made by two students.

Police and school officials worked through the night Thursday to avert a credible threat and ensure the high school remained safe for students and visitors, according to Capt. Jeff Kosmicki.

The following steps were taken, he said:

. . . The two students in question are in police custody on charges unrelated to the school threat.

. . . Counselors were alerted to concerns by students and communicated the information to police, who responded immediately.

. . . The district will conduct a threat assessment to determine the level of the threat and appropriate discipline and/or placement of the two allegedly involved students. The district has a well-developed policy on dealing with threats of violence.

. . . There was an increased police presence Friday on and around the high school campus.

"We take the safety and security of our schools very seriously and no one has a right to threaten that safety," Kosmicki said. "We rely on a student to tell a trusted adult and/or use available resources to communicate any threat they become aware of, which is exactly what happened in this case."

He said the police department appreciates and relies on its strong working relationship with the district, particularly in situations like this.

"We would like to remind you that this is an opportune time to talk with your student about the importance of sharing potentially threatening information in order to continue keeping our schools safe," Kosmicki said.

Police are continuing to investigate the case.