DES MOINES, Iowa — Threats against multiple Des Moines Public Schools locations appear to be "a hoax", the Des Moines Police Department said Thursday afternoon.
Police said an email containing a bomb threat was sent to several schools on Thursday morning.
An ongoing investigation deemed these threats not credible, with the department saying there is "no evidence of a bona fide danger to staff or students".
DMPS shared a statement about the incident on X, condemning threatening messages, calls and social media posts as a "common form of harassment" nationwide that only serves to disrupt education and waste law enforcement's time.
"The safety and well-being of everyone at DMPS is always a top priority, and we will [err] on the side of caution in response to anything that might jeopardize that," the district said.
"This is just one more in a long line of hoaxes and harassment that we're seeing here in Iowa and all across the country," DMPS Director of Communications & Public Affairs Phil Roeder told Local 5.
Roeder added that not only do these false calls cause unnecessary concerns and disruptions for law enforcement and the district, it's also impacting students.
"You know, the school day is short enough to begin with. And if you lose half an hour responding to a hoax, prank call, it is hurting kids' education," he said.
The Iowa Department of Public Safety says they are seeing an increase in these calls. The 2021 school year had four such calls, but this school year has seen 39 so far, not including today's incident with DMPS.
Right now, a bill looking to make swatting calls a felony has passed unanimously through the Iowa Senate. The bill would upgrade swatting from a misdemeanor to a Class "D" Felony which can carry up to a five-year prison sentence. If someone is injured as a result of the call, the penalty upgrades to a Class "C" Felony which carries up to a 10-year sentence.
A similar bill in the Iowa House passed out of committee and legislators can now bring the proposal to the floor for a vote.