SPEAKERS
Frank Straub, Ph.D
Director of the Center for Mass Violence Response Studies
A 30-year veteran of law enforcement, Dr. Frank Straub currently serves as the Director of the Center for Mass Violence Response Studies at the Police Foundation, where he works on Critical Incident Reviews including the San Bernardino terrorist attack–and the resulting report Bringing Calm to Chaos–and the Orlando Pulse shooting (in progress). Dr. Straub last served as the Chief of the Spokane, Washington, Police Department, where he received national recognition for the major reforms, community policing programs he implemented and significant crime reductions achieved during his tenure.
He holds a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice, from the City University of New York’s Graduate Center, an M.A. in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and a B.A. in Psychology from St. John’s University. He co-authored a book on performance-based police management and published several articles regarding community policing, police reform, and jail management.
SESSIONS
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM Wed, Apr 20, 2022 Palm Ballroom 1
How to Avert Planned School Attacks and Other Forms of Targeted Violence
In 2018, a planned attack at the Paw Paw High School (MI) was averted. In 2021, shortly after the person was released from a juvenile facility and supervision, he committed a homicide/suicide on a pier in resort community of South Haven (MI). Researchers from the National Policing Institute and Michigan State University, Department of Psychiatry will present a case study of the events to demonstrate the challenges of managing adolescents in community settings who are at-risk of committing an act of targeted violence. The researchers will also provide a short presentation on the Oxford High School Shooting using publicly available information. The presentation will highlight the need for ongoing engagement and management of persons of concern in the community to reduce dangerousness and support rehabilitation.The case study presents valuable lessons learned for public safety, educators, behavioral health professionals and juvenile/criminal justice officials. Specific emphasis is placed on the need for collaborative multidisciplinary interventions to prevent acts of targeted mass violence that endure after mitigating the initial crisis.
Learning Objectives
- Upon completion, participants will be able to identify behaviors that may indicate an act of future planned violence.
- Upon completion, participants will be able to recognize the dangers of solely relying on containment strategies to prevent violence without addressing criminogenic and psychological risk factors related to chronic or persistent dangerousness
- Upon completion, participants will be able to demonstrate multidisciplinary mitigation strategies to prevent mass attacks.
- Upon completion, participants will be able to describe recommendations for long term case management and threat management that can be used to foster desistance of planned homicidal violence.
Participant Outcomes
- Informed about how to avert planned school attacks and other forms of targeted violence
- Informed about intervention and management strategies
- Aware of the risk of solely relying on containment strategies
- Informed about the need to screen for suicide and homicide risk
- Informed about risk factors and protective factors