Brick Township, NJ – Brick Police Chief James J. Riccio and Superintendent of Schools Thomas G. Farrell issued a joint statement to the community in response to the tragic school shooting in Texas on Tuesday. That shooting claimed the lives of 19 students and three adults.
“Brick Schools is deeply saddened by the senseless tragedy that occurred at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas yesterday. Our thoughts, prayers, and sincere condolences go out to the families of this tragic event and the entire Robb Elementary School community,” the pair said in the joint statement. “We understand, as a school community, the frightening impact an event like this has on our students, staff, parents, and community as a whole. The safety and security of our students and staff is our top priority. We hesitate to alarm and instead try to re-assure that the Brick Township Public Schools and Brick Township Police Department diligently work together to assess potential threats. Our leadership team, school resources offices, school security officers, and the Brick Police Department work together to strictly adhere to all safety protocols. Today you may have noticed the increased presence of the Brick Township Police Department at our schools.”
Chief Riccio urged parents and students to remain vigilant and to report suspicious activity.
“It’s important to note that we cannot do this alone and that as a community we must all work together to assess potential threats and to encourage anyone who sees or hears of suspicious activity to report it immediately. Threats and suspicious activity can be reported directly to the Police, or to school officials, or by using the WeTip link on the school district website,” Ricchio said.