Acton police boost school patrols as new ‘scarecrow’ displays target superintendent
“There shouldn’t be a day that goes by or a shift that goes by that we’re not checking the schools, to begin with.”
Acton police are running extra patrols around public schools — and school officials are urging vigilance — after authorities documented a new round of displays targeting Superintendent Laurie Hunter.
The superintendent, in a mass email to families, said seven new “scarecrow figures” were found around town on Friday.
Like prior displays, at least some of the figures included a trash bag hung from crosspieces. The stenciled words “Fire Liar Hunter” appeared on the front of the bags, according to a photo shared with The Acton Bridge.
Police Capt. Brian Goldman told The Bridge that officers had already increased patrols since the first such display appeared in Acton Center in late September.
He said the department is being “a little more diligent” after last week’s discoveries but emphasized that police are taking these measures “out of an abundance of caution.”
Goldman said police customarily check school properties during their shifts. With increased patrols, officers are simply visiting more often.
The Bridge asked why CPD is supplementing patrols across school properties, rather than just at the district’s administrative headquarters, where Hunter’s office is located. Goldman reiterated that this is out of “an abundance of caution,” saying “it’s just better to be safe.”
“There shouldn’t be a day that goes by or a shift that goes by that we’re not checking the schools, to begin with,” he said. “That’s just what we do.”
Officials have, so far, documented more than a dozen displays since September 22. Goldman declined to share specifics about where the most recent figures were found.
“It’s a very active investigation,” he said Monday. “We’re trying to piece things together to see who’s doing this and to see what their motives are.”
Goldman said police haven’t determined whether this is a criminal probe.
“It’s an open investigation to learn and identify exactly what we have and what path we can go down,” he said.
In addition to patrols, Hunter said, police will be present at “certain events” and “doors will be strictly monitored to ensure only those expected and appropriate to the school are allowed entry.”
She urged community members to “report anything that seems unusual to the police.”
The School Committee is scheduled to meet Wednesday at the Ripley Administrative Building. Goldman said CPD will have a detail officer there but referred a question about other events back to the schools.
Wednesday’s School Committee agenda includes a closed-door discussion regarding “the deployment of security personnel or devices, or strategies with respect thereto.”
In a statement, Acton-Carlisle School Committee Chair Tracey Marano and K-8 Chair Andrew Herchek reiterated prior condemnations.
They said the schools “prioritize the safety and security of all members of our community” and the School Committees “stand fully with Superintendent Hunter.”
They went on to thank the police for their support and reminded residents to report suspicious activity.
The Bridge contacted Hunter, schools spokesperson Thomas Lucey, and and the district’s contracted communications firm, John Guilfoil Public Relations. None answered specific follow-up questions from The Bridge.
In a statement attributed to Hunter by Lucey, the superintendent restated her earlier comments about increased police patrols.
“Other than that, we are not sharing anything else at this time,” she said.
