NCJ Number
222978
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 56 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2008 Pages: 77-80
Date Published
April 2008
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article states and discusses 10 facts/issues with which police chiefs should be familiar regarding shootings on school grounds.
Abstract
First, the local police chief should be the resident expert on school shootings, so he/she must remain current on information that pertains to them. Second, school shooters have shared premeditated plans with someone, so the chief must be aware of all mechanisms, including Web sites, used by youth to share their thoughts and feelings. Third, there is no shooter profile, so police should instruct school resource officers (SROs) and school personnel to look for disturbing writings, comments, and postings on Web sites rather than the demographic characteristics of students. Fourth, proactive/prevention measures will come under immediate scrutiny, so security measures should be in place. Fifth, the actions of the SRO and responding officers will be scrutinized, so officers should be adequately trained to engage the shooter and neutralize the threat as soon as possible. Sixth, the shooter may not have been a drug abuser, so this must not be assumed to underlie his/her violent behavior. Seventh, the shooter may not have an extensive juvenile record, given that most school shooters did not have a history of crime/delinquency. Eighth, the shooter may know a lot about firearms, may use high-quality weapons, and may engage in frequent firearms training. Ninth, the shooter has full intent to kill and injure as many people as possible and as fast as possible, which makes the school shooter different from criminals who use weapons to facilitate other crimes. Tenth, following a shooting, bringing the school and the community back to normal will require time and effort to bring reassurance that measures have been taken to reduce the chance of a recurrence.