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November 9, 2015

Roberts Provides Forum for Local Leaders to Discuss Current Threats to Community

Roberts Wesleyan College has a vision for leading discussions and facilitating community engagement to create systemic best-practice strategies for managing at-risk individuals who present a threat to the safety and security of our children and our community through predatory acts of violence. On Nov. 6, Roberts Wesleyan College hosted a focus group of local experts and stakeholders representing local and federal law enforcement, mental health, corporate and school security, school districts and domestic-violence service providers. The purpose of the focus group was to foster a local environment that is conducive to creating impactful and realistic strategies to protect our communities from the national increase in mass-shooting incidents.

“The time is now to bring area stakeholders together to discuss and formulate systemic best-practice strategies for managing at-risk individuals who present a threat to the safety and security of our community through intended violence,” said Mark Concordia, criminal justice professor at Roberts Wesleyan College. “The results of the focus group are encouraging and clearly demonstrate the desire for continued impactful efforts to examine holistic strategies to respond to the nationwide rise in mass-casualty events. The response needs to be centered on early identification, assessment and case-management strategies that respect the needs and rights of the at-risk individual and those of society.”

The college intends to hold a symposium in early 2016, titled Protecting the Gift: Creating Holistic Case Management Strategies to Respond to Early Warning Signs of Intended Violence, that will include a presentation of threat assessment strategies and facilitate dialogue to discuss proactive strategies to protect communities from mass shootings and other forms of intended violence. 

“There is an opportunity for the symposium to lead to a series to promote discussions that positively impact our ability to respond to threats to the community,” Concordia added.

Some of the topics may include threat-assessment instruments and the possibility of creating a countywide threat-assessment team.

 

 


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