An anonymous email put a Pitt Meadows school under a shelter in place order temporarily Thursday morning, May 16.
In a message sent out to Davie Jones Elementary families at the start of the school day, the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows School District said they received an anonymous emailed threat against the school.
“While there is a likelihood this threat is not credible, we have a responsibility to err on the side of extreme caution and take any threat or potential threat seriously,” the letter read.
The district confirmed that Ridge Meadows RCMP were contacted, who then placed the school in a “precautionary shelter in place protocol.”
A shelter in place order is used as a short-term measure to protect students and staff from potential dangers outside the school.
READ ALSO: False report of firearm leads to lockdown at Lower Mainland high school
ALSO: Bomb threat sparks lockdown at middle school in Abbotsford
This means that all exterior doors were secured, visitors were not permitted, and normal duties were allowed to continue inside the school.
Police confirmed they received a report from staff at Davie Jones Elementary that they had received a “suspicious and threatening email”, at around 8:21 a.m. and that police provided support and precautionary resources.
Shortly before 11 a.m. the district sent out a second letter notifying families that the shelter in place had been lifted.
“We are appreciative of the assistance of Ridge Meadows RCMP this morning and thank you for your patience. The safety of our students and staff is our number one priority, and it was important for us to act quickly and err on the side of the greatest caution in our response,” read the letter.
Police said they were on scene until approximately 12:40 p.m., and conducted an extensive search of both inside and outside of the school, finding no threats.
The City of Pitt Meadows also put out an alert, noting that all students and staff were safe, and that instruction was allowed to continue.
The exact nature of the threat was not divulged.
