Letter Sparks Increased Police Presence At St Rose School

By Andrew Gorosko

In response to a letter of warning concerning St Rose School, police made their presence felt at the Roman Catholic parochial school on Church Hill Road last week to allay fears and bring a sense of normalcy to the facility, according to Detective Sergeant Henry Stormer.

Sgt Stormer said on Monday, May 21, that police had received an anonymous letter on Tuesday, May 15 via the mail which did not contain any specific threat concerning the school, but which warned police that someone with ties to the school may have a reason to cause a problem at the school.

The letter was vague, the sergeant said. “We took it seriously,” he added. He declined to disclose the specific contents of the letter.

Detective bureau personnel investigated the matter to learn the reasons for such a letter being written and who was responsible for writing it, Sgt Stormer said.

Newtown police sent a copy of the letter to the FBI for forensic investigation, he said.

St Rose School and Bridgeport Diocese officials had no comment on the situation. The diocese referred questions on the matter to Sgt Stormer.

“I don’t think there was ever a crisis,” Sgt Stormer said.

Due to the presence of police officers in the school and on school grounds last week, school children apparently generated various rumors about why police were present, the sergeant said.

Police had between two and five officers stationed at the school at various times between Tuesday May 15, and Friday, May 18, he said. The intent of having officers present was to normalize the situation, he said. Police were at the school to demonstrate to students and their parents that the children could have a normal day at school, he said.

To allay parents’ fears about the situation, the school sent home an explanatory letter to parents describing the situation, Sgt Stormer said.

Also, parents who called the police station were provided with a recorded message explaining the situation to them. In the recorded message, police explained that although the letter of warning contained no specific threat, the receipt of the letter “heightened our awareness to keep an eye on the school for awhile.” The school has students from kindergarten through grade 8.

By Monday, May 21, the school was back to normal, Sgt Stormer said.

Police are continuing their investigation into the circumstances of the letter of warning, he said.