SCHOOL VIOLENCE
Psychiatrist Told U. of Colorado Cop About Theater Shooter's Threats
The Aurora theater shooter's psychiatrist alerted a campus police officer about her client's homicidal threats about a month before the attack after James Holmes stopped seeing her. Officer Whitten responded on June 12 by deactivating Holmes' key-card access to secure areas of campus medical buildings.
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Connecticut Authorities: Sandy Hook Victims All Killed in Less Than 5 Minutes
Court documents reveal that Sandy Hook Elementary School gunman Adam Lanza stockpiled weapons and ammunition in the months leading up to the Dec. 14 mass shooting. Additionally, authorities said that the 20-year-old shooter killed all 26 of his school victims within five minutes of entering Sandy Hook Elementary before turning the gun on himself. In addition to firearms, police found three samurai swords and a long pole with a blade on one side and a spear on the other in the gunman's home. The family and friends of the victims, the community and the general public have a right to expect that any decision to prosecute or not prosecute will be made only after all of the available evidence has been examined and considered and all leads suggested by the evidence have been adequately pursued. The Connecticut State Police, the Newtown Police Depart- ment and other state and federal law enforcement agencies are not only continuing to investigate, but are still in the process of compiling reports, statements from witnesses, and documenting, examining and testing physical and digital evidence that has been obtained. This process is very arduous and must be done carefully, accurately, and confidentially.
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CAMPUS Safety Act Back on Agenda in Washington U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., plans to reintroduce the bipartisan CAMPUS (Center to Advance Monitor and Preserve University Security) Safety Act, which would consolidate federal campus safety programs into a single National Center for Campus Public Safety. Warner said the act would allow campuses around the nation to collaborate and decide upon the best practices for campus security. Lisa Phillips, the director of federal and external affairs at The International Association of
Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, said the legislation would give campus law enforcement more resources to adequately perform their jobs. Phillips also said without the center campus law enforcement would be on their own in developing their campus safety procedures. While she admitted budget concerns might get in the way of the program's implementation, she said it would only cost about $2.75 million (about 16 cents per student nationally). Phillips acknowledged that recent tragedies have made the CAMPUS Safety Act a more urgent priority.
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National Center for Campus Safety Gets Go-ahead The U.S. Department of Justice has dedicated $1 million to create a National Center for Campus Public Safety, a move applauded by the VTV Family Outreach Founda- tion, which has long advocated for it. The center will guarantee, for the first time, that campus security officials have access to consistent, high-quality informa- tion and best practices, said VTV's S. Daniel Carter. "Initially it will most likely offer grants to institutions of higher education and nonprofits," said Carter. The grants would go toward research and training, among other things. Although safety and security at college and universities will be the focus, other elements will benefit K-12 as well. In addition, the center will be focused on the proposed Campus Safety Act, which seeks $2.75 million from Congress for the remainder of the fiscal year. Passage of the act would help ensure the center's future, making its funding a line item in the budget every year. VTV’s mission is to support legisla- tion to make the nation's campuses safer and to support the families of victims and survivors of the Virginia Tech shootings.
Read More School Designs Focus on Security
Many new schools are looking into redesigning their layouts in order to improve security following the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. A number of new school plans have been revised in response to security concerns, a task easier to do in new buildings. Changes include putting all classrooms on the second and third floors, installing double doors at entrances, and putting in bulletproof glass. In Massachusetts, lawmakers have introduced at least eight bills to address school security. With or without these bills, schools that are already open also face changes, such as requiring visitors to present identification and submit to a background check, hiring security personnel to monitor surveillance cameras, and placing automatic locks on certain doors. Architects and educators say it is a balancing act to make sure a building is both
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