By Kevin Coughlin
Police patrols have been beefed up at schools in the Morris School District after a backpack containing ammunition was found over the weekend in a field near the Frelinghuysen Middle School.
“Even though we have not received any direct threat against FMS or any other school in our district, we are proceeding with an abundance of caution,” District Superintendent Mackey Pendergrast said in a message to parents late on Sunday night.
Four Morris Township police officers secured the building on Monday morning and will remain throughout the day, the superintendent said.
Patrols will be increased at all 10 district schools in the Township and in Morristown, Pendergrast added.
A backpack containing approximately 100 rounds of 9 mm and .45 caliber bullets was found Saturday afternoon in a sparsely wooded area at Veterans Field on West Hanover Avenue, near the Township public works facility and the middle school, said Township Mayor Dan Caffrey.
A girl attending a girls softball game saw the backpack, in a wooded area behind the third base side of the field, and reported it to her father, who called police, Caffrey said.
“It’s obviously scary, and we are taking every precaution that we can, being overly cautious” to ensure the safety of every child in the District, Caffrey said.
He said has spoken with Mayor Tim Dougherty in Morristown, and Morristown police are involved in the extra security measures.
MorristownGreen.com will add details from police as they become available.
Dougherty echoed Caffrey’s concerns about the discovery, which he described as a Nike backpack with “several rounds of different-caliber ammunition.”
“We take any kind of issue like this as extremely serious, given the nature of what’s occurred throughout the nation,” said the Morristown mayor. “We want to assure parents we’ve taken every precaution and will stay in constant contact with the the Township and school district throughout this investigation.”
Morristown police have increased their patrols of local schools, Dougherty said.
Students were being kept inside for lunch and recess, with external doors being kept locked, in at least one elementary school in the district.
Morris County Sheriff Ed Rochford has offered his department’s assistance if it’s needed, Caffrey said.
Anyone with information about the incident should contact Morris Township police, Pendergrast said. The main number is (973) 539-0777.
