LITTLE SILVER — Administrators at Red Bank Regional High School are speaking out to set the record straight concerning a recent trespass incident widely reported on media blogs.
The school is providing the facts of the incident to end any misinformation and speculation that may still exist in the community.
According to a press release from RBR, three young men trespassed onto the school property at the back patio on Friday, Oct. 16, at approximately 11 a.m.
They gained access into the school cafeteria when a student incorrectly assumed they were RBR students and opened the locked door. As the school building and lunch periods are constantly monitored by administration and security personnel, the trespassers were quickly identified and deterred from entering any other part of the school, the press release states.
Principal Jim Stefankiewicz and Dean of Students Alan Choback detained two of the young men while the school resource officer, Little Silver Police Officer Pete Gibson, followed another to the administration parking area where a fourth person was waiting in a car, according to the school’s press release.
With the quick response of the Little Silver Police, all four men were arrested. Three of the men are residents of Long Branch and one is a resident of Bradley Beach, the release states.
“There was absolutely no gang connection to the incident. The men were not armed. RBR students were not harmed nor accosted by the trespassers. Police investigations revealed that the purpose of the trespass pertained to a personal female-male relationship issue,” the release states.
Stefankiewicz spoke to RBR students about the incident during an assembly for Violence and Vandalism Awareness Week, stressing that the high school building security is everyone’s responsibility. He encouraged students to immediately find a staff member if they see someone trying to enter the building who is not a student.
Superintendent Dr. Edward Westervelt also sent a letter to all parents explaining the incident and asking for reinforcement of the shared responsibility message the principal delivered.
As a result of the incident, steps were taken to reinforce security, and 40 percent of the cost was funded by state grant funds, according to RBR. The measures include: the school’s front doors are currently under construction for a new keyless entry system with card readers, which is set for completion by early November; and security guards are currently stationed at the temporary side entrance and will be stationed at the front to buzz in visitors to the building when the project is finished. Also, additional security cameras recently were added to the interior and exterior of the building.