Brookhaven police and city school officials are pledging tocontinue taking safety seriously, while at the same time dismissinglast week’s rampant rumors of campus violence as schoolyardgossip.

Vague rumors about possible violence began a few weeks ago. Andwhen a second round of complaints – which were more specificregarding the timing of an incident – came in to the policedepartment early last week, Chief Pap Henderson said he plannedahead.

Henderson was among officers who attended Friday’s pep rally inadvance of Brookhaven High School’s game against South Pike. Hesaid the visible police presence was to inform parents, teachers,students and community members that the safety of the community’sschools will not be taken lightly.

“We’re going to protect these students,” Henderson said. “Thistalk might be all rumor, but we’re not going to take it forgranted.”

Henderson said different rumors of violence and planned schoolshootings had been passed around the high school primarily by textmessage. However, police and school officials have not found anorigin for the story.

“We knew about these rumors early enough that we already knewwhat we were going to do on Friday,” he said. “One thing peopleneed to understand is that we’re not going to let a handful of kidsstop hundreds from getting their education.”

Yet the pep rally was uneventful. Brookhaven SchoolsSuperintendent Lea Barrett said Friday was calm as the rest of theschool year has been.

“They were bizarre rumors, and I was in and out on Friday and itwas a calm day,” she said. “I don’t know where it’s coming from. Wehave to take it seriously and certainly we’re going to do that, butthere was nothing to substantiate it.”

Part of the rumors of violence at BHS revolved aroundhelicopters seen in the area throughout the day Friday. Hendersonsaid they were not carrying media crews, but narcotics agentslooking for marijuana fields.

“Once a year those helicopters are provided to differentagencies, and Friday was the day it was provided to Brookhaven andLincoln County,” Henderson said. “When you’re looking for marijuanapatches, sometimes what you can’t see from the ground you can seefrom the air.”

Henderson reminded students who might feel the need to causeproblems that they should remember the school has a handbook, andthat criminal activity will not go unpunished.

“If you commit a crime, we’re going to arrest you and charge youand send you to youth court and possibly reform school,” the chiefsaid. “Don’t think a suspension is going to keep criminal chargesfrom being filed.”