Social media posts about Burlington schools caused ‘undo alarm,’ police say

Additional police presence will be visible at schools in Burlington Township Friday following unspecified comments made toward the schools on some of the district's social media pages that caused "undo alarm" within the community, officials said.

According to a statement on the Burlington Township School District's Facebook Page, the information was reported to the district by members of the community. Community Relations official Liz Scott posted the message, thanking the community for its vigilance "in reporting information from social media to the school and the authorities."

"Due to your quick action, the police were able to do their job and it is our understanding that they are currently handling the situation," Scott's statement said. "At this time we are unable to provide any further information. The district has requested extra police presence tomorrow at all schools."

In addition, the Burlington Township Police Department issued a Nixle alert stating that authorities were "alerted to a posting on several different social media sites that referenced the Burlington Township School System." According to police, the posts "caused undo alarm to the community and was dealt with immediately."

The alert indicates that the person(s) responsible for the posts have been identified and "appropriate action is being taken." The alert did not specify what the posts said or any information about the parties responsible for them.

"We take the safety of our citizens, especially our children very seriously," the alert said.

The school district and the police department have not yet responded to calls seeking comment on the issue.

Toniann Antonelli is the digital managing editor at NJ 101.5. Reach her at toniann.antonelli@townsquaremedia.com, or on Twitter @ToniRadio1015.