GLYNCO, Ga. – The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) hosted a School Safety Summit: Strategies for Prevention, July 19-21, 2022, for federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, and campus law enforcement.
“Tactically responding to active threat events has become a cornerstone of law enforcement training. Developing strategies to prevent those acts of violence from occurring is equally important and we are committed to providing stakeholders with every resource available,” said FLETC Assistant Director Kai Munshi, Technical Training Operations Directorate. “The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers’ inaugural School Safety Summit brought together subject matter experts from across the country to discuss prevention strategies including threat assessment and threat management, physical security assessments, and social media.”
Nearly 1,000 law enforcement officers and agents participated in the virtual summit. Utilizing our eFLETC training platform, the virtual classroom allowed for nationwide accessibility for law enforcement to be able to engage from the field, providing attendees an opportunity to learn and discuss strategies intended to prevent acts of violence in our nation’s schools.
“We were able to put together a world-class lineup of presenters that are experts in the field of school safety,” stated Charles Brewer, division chief, State, Local and Tribal Division. “In this case, even before the tragedy in Uvalde, our focus for the school safety summit was going to be strategies for prevention.”
One of those experts, guest speaker and former Captain John Spoor, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), spoke on the importance of threat assessment to identify emerging threats to public safety. He shared lessons learned from the PCSO Behavioral Threat Analysis Unit, a model for our nation’s law enforcement to interrupt and disrupt the cycle of violence.
“The tragedies our nation has experienced regarding targeted violence highlights the importance of school safety and threat management. It was an honor to be part of FLETC’s committed goal of educating our law enforcement community,” shared Spoor.
The goal of the summit was not only to discuss strategies but also to provide actionable items for the participants to take back to their communities and make a positive change in the prevention of targeted violence. The School Safety Summit identified best practices and open-source resources available for law enforcement.
“While FLETC’s mission is to train law enforcement, we encourage everyone to get involved using information, guidance, and resources provided by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The DHS Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) is one such resource that takes a whole-of-society approach to prevent targeted violence and terrorism,” noted Munshi. “CP3 supports local prevention frameworks through technical, financial, and educational assistance. There are numerous proactive steps that educators, businesses, and private citizens can also take to help prevent and mitigate acts of violence.”
A component of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, FLETC provides basic and career-long training to law enforcement professionals to help them fulfill their responsibilities safely and proficiently. Through strategic partnerships, FLETC prepares the federal law enforcement community to safeguard the American people, property, and institutions.
###
Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers
Office of Public Affairs
Contact: 912-267-2447