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TRUST HOSTS SCHOOL VIOLENCE PREVENTION SUMMIT
Following Ritter’s remarks were a series of presentations by Del Elliot, Director, Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence; Susan Payne, Special Agent/Director, Safe2Tell; Don Quick, District Attorney, Adams and Broomfield counties; and Larry Borland, Director of School Safety/Transportation, Douglas County. In turn, participants discussed the data, as well as the realities they’ve experienced. All agreed that serious incidences of school violence are unpredictable and random. They can, and do occur in places where one would least expect, yet schools rarely fully consider themselves to be vulnerable targets. This lack of awareness and acknowledgement underlies lack of foresight and preparedness and indicates a need for ongoing training and prevention strategies. Several successes and challenges were noted, including efforts designed to improve the way critical information is shared among school personnel, law enforcement and other entities responsible for school safety. However, further discussion is needed regarding the effectiveness of strategies designed to limit school access and increase camera monitoring. Some participants saw this as critical to increasing school safety, yet research has shown that weapon detectors and such are not effective deterrents, particularly in instances when the attacker may be suicidal. Participants also pointed to the public’s desire to have open access to buildings they consider a part of their community. A number of participants also support the possibility of creating a centralized School Safety Center to oversee and coordinate statewide efforts, while others questioned adding another potential level of bureaucracy that would be only remotely connected to schools and would likely siphon funding away from on-the-ground programs. The Trust, which has led several efforts to address school violence issues, and participants agreed to continue as a working group with the proactive goal of strengthening school safety. For additional information, contact Ed Lucero, Senior Program Officer, 303-837-1200, ed@coloradotrust.org. |
In addressing participants, Governor Bill Ritter (then Governor-elect) noted that – during his campaign for governor – school shootings were clearly a major concern. This, coupled with his experience as Denver District Attorney, led him to make a commitment to address the matter. “I was on the Columbine task force,” he told participants, “and I’ve thought hard about this. If you think about all the things that we’ve done and the focus on the issue post-Columbine – and then to have these other things happening – there is a sense of frustration that we didn’t prevent it. I know we can’t prevent everything, but we have to focus on public policy that allows us to do our best and be able to say, ‘We’ve done all we can.’” Ritter also suggested that “No one is watching people coming in and going out of schools. I’m not talking about having armed guards, but about realistic strategies to address ingress and egress.”