The Sheriff of New Hanover County, Edward J. McMahon, takes pride in the protection of the school system.  Each school is assigned a School Resource Officer and they provide security for students and administration.  They are responsible for preliminary reports to alert Juvenile Detectives of incidents and crimes in the schools, which need to be investigated. 

As Juvenile Detectives we work with solving crimes and incidents in which a juvenile is a victim or may be considered as a suspect.  A juvenile is a person that is seventeen years of age or younger.  We receive many cases from New Hanover County Schools when incidents and crimes take place at school involving students, faculty, or domestic situations.  Some examples of cases that we receive are affrays, assaults, bomb threats, communicating threats, larcenies, missing persons, property damage, and sexual assaults.  Cases obtained may result in suspect(s) being charged with a misdemeanor or a felony offense.  We rely heavily on other parties that may not have any involvement in a certain situation; however, knows information leading to an arrest or detection of crime before it takes place.  If you are a student or parent and know of a situation that may need assistance from law enforcement, feel free to contact a School Resource Officer at your school or you may contact a Juvenile Detective with New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office.    

Approximately 8 out of 10 of all bomb threats that are made towards the New Hanover County School System have closure with a class H felony being charged on the perpetrator.  The punishment for committing this act can result in extensive prison time or reimbursement to the county and state for over $100,00.00 labor and equipment expense.  Additional punishments are at the court’s discretion.