EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)- Summer break is just around the corner as well as graduation for high school seniors.
The El Paso Police Department says they tend to see more incidents involving youth around the end of the school year.
“And just in general in the summertime, we have more people that are out and about, right? So, the weather’s a little bit nicer, it’s a little bit warmer and so there are more events. Also, school is out so a lot of people are celebrating. So, we do tend to see a lot more activity,” said Sgt. Javier Sambrano, a spokesman for EPPD.
May 24 is the anniversary of the deadly shooting in Uvalde, Texas that left 19 students and two teachers dead last year, just before school let out for summer break.
“We’re just going to be on heightened alert these last couple of weeks of school,” said James Vasquez, Associate Superintendent for Student Support Services Ysleta Independent School District.
YISD says they have seen an increase in school threats this past school year.
“We’ve seen an increase in the social media threats, and that takes up a lot of time and resources in tracking down the people who make those threats,” said Vasquez.
Vasquez also says they are not allowing students to bring backpacks to school for the remainder of the year.
Additionally, Canutillo ISD is also not allowing backpacks at some of their campuses.
“At the end of the school year, a lot of students get a little restless. They want to start celebrating in their own way and there is a little more freedom that is given to them because the school year is coming to a close,” said Gustavo Reveles, the spokesperson for Canutillo ISD.
In addition to safety on campuses, EPPD is also reminding the youth community to wear their seat belts when driving and not to speed.
As we reported on Tuesday, an Eastwood High School senior was killed in a single-vehicle collision. Police have now said that the teen was not wearing a seatbelt and speed was a factor.
