***Election 2004: 73 SCHOOLS LOCKEDDOWN IN PALM BEACH ***

[Carl Brennan]

Terror scare not just in Warren County Ohio

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...


http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_ne...

Schools locking doors Election Day
By Cynthia Kopkowski <mailto:[e-mail] >
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Thursday, October 28, 2004
The 73 Palm Beach County schools used as polling places will be in a security lockdown on Election Day because of fears that terrorists or anyone else seeking to disrupt the presidential election could target the buildings.
The district has not received any threats specific to Palm Beach County schools, Superintendent Art Johnson said. But he and schools Police Chief Jim Kelly believe the district must be concerned about schools being "soft targets" for terrorism.
We are simply listening to the same news everyone else is listening to and what we've heard is the possibility of people trying to disrupt our election process," Johnson said. "We are going to exercise the highest degree of preparedness."
Although schools have been used for elections the past two years, this is the first presidential election since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The anticipated heavy turnout will mean more strangers on campus than in previous elections.
Slightly less than half of the district's schools are polling locations......

snip
....Nearly 1,000 people are registered to vote Tuesday at Calusa Elementary School in Boca Raton, Principal Ann Faroane said. The security plan will boost efforts instituted years ago to make campuses more secure, she said.
"Since 9/11, our antenna has always been up," Faroane said. "We're always extra cautious. Our staff will just be keeping their eyes open for people who shouldn't be there."
Martin County also is taking extra precautions in the three schools that will serve as polling places: Hidden Oaks Middle School, Martin County High School and SeaWind Elementary. The sheriff's office will station deputies all day at those schools and place polling locations in areas isolated from students and adjacent to the parking lots, said Lt. Morgan Sprott, who oversees Martin's school resource officers.
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