School Violence: Lessons Learned

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin,The, Sept, 1999 by Stephen R. Band, Joseph A. Harpold

Critical Incident Response

Once law enforcement agencies have created partnerships with their schools and communities and have MOUs in place, they must develop a critical incident response plan. To effectively manage an incident of school violence, agencies should initiate a formal plan that clearly defines logistical considerations, communication needs, and victim/witness processing requirements.

Logistical Considerations

Agencies should create an emergency response crime scene team comprised of experienced investigators. They should designate a remote command post, away from the media and the crime scene. For press conferences, they should select a facility, such as a National Guard armory, away from the command post and the crime scene to keep both of these locations secure from the media and onlookers.

Communication Needs

Agencies should prearrange mobile radio communications for their officers and dedicate a telephone line that they can publicize to help gather information. Agencies also should train and assign to any incident of school violence full-time media or public information officers.

Initially, agencies should hold periodic briefings at prearranged times for the major participants of the investigation. As the investigation progresses, they should hold briefings as necessary. To combat rumors, agencies should establish a control center and assign officers to investigate rumors and dispel them as quickly as possible.

Victim/Witness Processing Requirements

Agencies should designate a large facility to accommodate victim/witness services. During a crisis, agencies should ensure that the facility remains secure from the media and onlookers. However, at the same time, they must publicize its existence so victims and witnesses will know where to go for help. The facility should have contact information for various victim/witness resources, such as the National Organization for Victim Assistance(3) and other local or outside sources, that agency personnel may access quickly.

POSTINCIDENT DEBRIEFING

Law enforcement agencies must remember that their officers have the same concerns as other parents when it comes to their children's safety. Before assigning them duties, commanders should allow officers to talk to their spouses and ensure that their children are safe.

Agencies must plan beyond the incident, ensuring the availability of follow-up counseling for personnel and their families, as well as others in the community. Agencies should make employee assistance and mental health professionals available for critical incident defusing and debriefing of law enforcement and other emergency response personnel as quickly as possible. Moreover, service providers themselves may need help in order to assist others. For example, in each of the six school shootings the FBI studied, the National Organization for Victim Assistance's Crisis Response Team arrived within 24 hours of the incident. All of the jurisdictions praised the team for helping the local emergency responders help others in their communities.