DEARBORN HEIGHTS — As more and more students countywide are being charged with making threats, an 11-year-old from O.W. Best Middle School is among them.

In the weeks following the Oxford School shooting, police have been investigating several instances of threats against schools, resulting in dozens of juveniles across Wayne, Oakland and Macomb Counties being charged.

On Dec. 15, an 11-year-old boy from O.W. Best Middle School, a part of the D7 School District in Dearborn Heights, was charged with one count of intentional threat to commit acts of violence against a school, school employees or students.

He is being charged as a juvenile and if convicted will face a sentence considering the crime committed and rehabilitation.

The student was given a $10,000 or 10 percent bond and will be in court on Jan. 11 before Referee Sean Kerman.

“The Dearborn Heights Police Department is working closely with all of our school districts and their staff and students to ensure a safe and welcoming learning environment,” Dearborn Heights Police Chief Mark Meyers told The Arab American News. “The strong relationships developed through our School Resource Officer program as well as an increased presence in and around our schools by our patrol division, students, and staff members are reporting incidents of potential violence and online threats without hesitation. Each of these reports are investigated by our detective bureau to mitigate the potential for violence while building a criminal case against an offender. We work with the school administration and the Wayne County Prosecutor’s office to hold any student or non-student accountable for their actions to include arrest and felony charges if sufficient evidence exists.”

Meyers also said that it takes courage to come forward to report incidents.

“When persons make threats against our schools or towards individuals, it takes courage for our students to speak up and report these incidents to their teachers, counselors, and parents,” he said. “I commend the students who had the courage to speak up and report the incident this week at one of our middle schools. These students are the leaders and role models in our school communities. It takes each of us to do our part to create a safe environment at home and at school. I cannot stress enough the importance of parents, guardians, and family members to have an open line of communication with their children about safety, responsible social media use, and that what starts out as a joke to some may cause great fear to others and could result in criminal prosecution.”