SEMINAR ON SCHOOL VIOLENCE HELD AT POLICE ACADEMY

Members of law enforcement and school officials from across the state attended the FBI seminar, “Identifying the Warning Signs of School Violence” at the Monmouth County Police Academy, on Tuesday, January 29th. The Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office sponsored the event and approximately 250 people were present, a large turnout which comes on the heels of the recent tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. “The safety and security of our children remains a top priority,” said Sheriff Shaun Golden. “The vital information taken from this seminar, and, applied by members of law enforcement and school administrators, can help keep children out of harm’s way, while at school.”

Special Agent Tonya DeSa of the Newark Division of the FBI was the presenter of the program. She reviewed past acts of school violence, and, how the threat of violence from school shooters differs from other acts of violence that occur on school property. In addition, DeSa discussed how to detect behavioral warning signs and assess behavioral risk factors of an individual. “We have to properly identify the threat,” said Tonya DeSa, Special Agent of the FBI and National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime Coordinator. “That’s the key to preventing school violence from within the school.” DeSa also discussed the need for schools to create their own threat assessment teams comprised of school personnel and law enforcement.

The event at the Monmouth County Police Academy was the largest seminar Special Agent DeSa has conducted on “Identifying Warning Signs of School Violence”, to date.