An elementary school in Colwood had to go into a "Hold and Secure" over the lunch hour due of a police related incident
West Shore RCMP were responding to a call of a family disturbance in the area near Wishart Elementary around 12:30. When officers showed up on the scene, the offending party had already taken off on foot.
Sergeant Lea says out of an abundance of caution, they notified the nearby school.
"Anytime there's something close to a school where there's a potential at all for any harm to a child, even if there's nothing overt that we know is going to happen, but if someone's out on the loose for example, and we're trying to find them, and we think they've gone near a school, we're going to do our due diligence and put that school into what's known as a 'Hold and Secure'."
The kids were brought inside and the perimeter doors were locked, but the kids were able to freely roam within the school. A 'Hold and Secure' is different from a 'Lockdown', where kids are brought into locked classrooms where they take cover, while the perimeter doors are locked.
Lea adds that there wasn't any comments or reason for the suspect to do anything, but they just wanted to be sure the kids were safe.
The suspect, who is known to police, was safely taken into custody, and West Shore RCMP are recommending a charge of Breach of a Probation Order.
Lindsay Vogan with School District 62 says this is the third time a school in the area had to bring the kids in and lock the doors. In April, during the car chase and gunshot incident in Langford, the Happy Valley Elementary School had to go into a 'Hold and Secure.' There was also a wildlife incident later that month when a cougar was spotted in the area near Royal Roads, and Colwood Elementary students were brought back inside from their break.