The copycat pranks — they imitated three bomb threats that occurred in the county prior to Christmas — are costing taxpayers thousands of dollars, according to the Gordon County Sheriff’s Office.
“The numbers are the same as they were last year,” said Chief Robert Paris, public information officer for the GC sheriff’s office. “We are sending the same personnel to the schools each time.”
The two threats that occurred this week were both posted in some capacity inside the school, and sheriff’s deputies were immediately notified. Searches of the facility were conducted both times, and no evidence of an explosive device was ever found.
The typical response to threats like these costs $20,000, Paris told the Calhoun Times in December. And those numbers are based on the salaries of teacher’s alone; that doesn’t include emergency workers, Paris said. Emergency personnel salaries spent on these investigations come to about $2,000, and those numbers are on the lower end of the salary scale, he said.
It is standard for the department to send dozens of emergency workers and vehicles, including fire engines, ambulances, investigators and deputies; and often bomb detecting dogs are brought in from surrounding municipalities.
Paris said on Wednesday that investigators are currently following a lead, and a suspect could be arrested as early as this weekend.
“We are close to making an arrest,” Paris said.
Once the suspect is arrested, tried and possibly found guilty the sheriff’s office could seek to have those funds repaid to the department by the guilty party.
The Gordon County School board is also offering an award to anyone with information that leads to an arrest.
The size and amount of the award has not been disclosed.
Superintendent Bill McCown stated on the schools system’s official Web site that he was thankful to the Gordon County sheriff’s office, as well as the administrative staffs, faculties, and students of Sonoraville High School for their prompt, professional response to the situation.
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