West Potomac Placed on High Security
School was secured due to robbery by student.
West Potomac High School was placed on high security Thursday afternoon after one student robbed another, police and school officials said.
Fairfax County police spokesman Bud Walker said the incident was a strong-arm robbery of one student by another student. No one was injured, and no weapon was displayed, he said.
“Both were identified and apprehended within four minutes,” Walker said.
According to an email sent to parents from Principal Cliff Hardison, the school was notified of the incident at around 2:50 p.m. The school went briefly into “secure the building” status, in which all exterior doors are locked and students remain inside.
In the email, Hardison said staff reacted swiftly and appropriately, and the students who stayed after school behaved in an exemplary manner. At no time was anyone on school property in any danger, he said.
Walker said he was unsure exactly where the robbery took place.
T Ailshire
5:50 pm on Thursday, May 24, 2012
"Both were identified and apprehended within four minutes."
Wouldn't it take longer than that just to secure the building? I'm not sure I see the point in this (addressed to faculty, staff, and law-enforcement personnel).
Curveball
7:03 pm on Thursday, May 24, 2012
"Both were.....apprehended...."
Huh?
That would be beyond zero tolerance. Apprehending a robbery victim?
AnonyMOM
8:16 am on Saturday, May 26, 2012
This school took immediate action-good for them! When my second grader went to the principal's office to report that items she bought that day at the book fair were stolen from her back pack during class (another classmate also had items stolen from her backpack), NO action was taken and I didn't find out about it until after school that day. If the administration had done something about it, such as conducting a search (as outlined in the Fairfax County Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook) her property could have been recovered. Instead, the school ignored it, sending a clear message to the thief you won't be punished, so feel free to do it again.