BY STEFANIE DAZIO AND ABBOTT KOLOFF
STAFF WRITERS |
THE RECORD
In what has become a frustrating routine for law enforcement and school officials, thousands of students across North Jersey had their school day disrupted Friday when a series of bomb threats were phoned into at least 15 North Jersey schools, including 10 in Bergen County.
This was the second consecutive Friday that multiple schools were targeted by calls characterized by a robotic-sounding voice, and at least the third time since January, according to authorities. All of the schools were determined to be safe on Friday, as they were in the other incidents, after being inspected by law enforcement.
The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad unit received 10 calls for help from local police over a period of about 30 minutes on Friday, starting at 11 a.m., authorities said. Officials confirmed threats across the region, in Ramsey, Mahwah, Cliffside Park, Waldwick, Teaneck, Fort Lee, Englewood, Hackensack, Oradell, Paramus, Paterson, Haledon, Little Falls, Nutley and Kearny. Most of the calls came in about 11 a.m. By 1:30 p.m., officials said, there was no longer a threat.
