Rumors and a few tips about a possible after-school brawl at Greenwood High School led to a heavy police presence as school got out Thursday.
The trouble failed to materialize, though, and dismissal went off without incident.
Greenwood Superintendent Montrell Greene said extra security was provided at the school “because of a rumor that was circulating.”
“The district believes in being proactive in such instances,” Greene added.
At least three Greenwood police cars were parked in Whittington Park. A couple of police vans were also in the area, and two Leflore County Sheriff’s Department vehicles were seen circling the school.
“It was just a precautionary measure,” said Greenwood Acting Police Chief Ray Moore. “We had got some information that some teenagers might be coming over there to cause trouble.”
Moore said several citizens called the police, expressing concern that there might be a brawl or other incident at the end of the school day.
Officers stationed in Whittington Park chatted with students as they walked through the park on their way home, but there didn’t appear to be any trouble brewing.
“One group of teenagers supposedly had a problem with another group of teenagers,” Moore said, adding that he was unsure whether the teenagers were students at the school or from elsewhere. “We haven’t really been able to pin down what it was all about, but out of an abundance of caution we decided to dispatch some extra units over there in case anything happened.”
Students at Greenwood High School were dismissed only from the school’s exits along Sycamore Avenue, facing the park.
A number of the district’s resource officers appeared to be directing dismissal, while two others sat in their cars in the back parking lot.
“We’re going to make sure the students at the school are protected,” Moore said. “Anytime we receive a call on something like that, we take it extremely seriously.”
• Contact Bryn Stole at 581-7235 or bstole@gwcommonwealth.com.
