Parents demand answers from police for slow response to threat made against Delaware school
NEWARK, De. - Concerned parents packed a meeting called by the Delaware State Police to explain why it took officers more than an hour to respond to a threat made against a local school.
Officials say La Academia Charter School in Newark was placed on lockdown on Oct. 24 after a call was made threatening the school's executive director and the students.
Police tried to explain to an enraged crowd of school community members and parents that there were problems at the dispatch center because the initial call came in as a non-emergency.
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Parents, however, say they placed hundreds of 911 call between 3:30 and 4:30.
"Even once you were here there was no response, I looked at an officer and said ‘help me’ and he turned around and walked away," Executive Director Mercedes Alonso said.
Delaware State Police Major Jason Sapp admitted to the crowd that dispatch "made a mistake."
Authorities say they've done extensive research to get to the bottom of what happened in the nearly three weeks since the incident.
"You’re not going to tell me they don’t know what schools their kids attend, and they will be there in two seconds." Danielle Lopez, a parent said.