American School Violence Tracker: Awareness and Prevention

It was my privilege to share remarks at the Bergen County Police Chiefs Association (BCPCA) March 17, 2022 meeting at The Renaissance in Rutherford, NJ to 90 police chief, associate and affiliate members.

It is my 20th consecutive year as liaison on issues of community policing and violence prevention for BCPCA.

The remarks followed my February remarks to the association Safeguarding Our Protectors: A Community Responsibility.

During today’s remarks I shared details from a published report from Education Week titled School Shootings This Year: How Many and Where.

Prior to sharing the sobering statistics from Education Week, I highlighted that school violence tragedies continues.

The importance was also stressed of avoiding being desensitized. This is not only because of catastrophic tragedies like Columbine, Virginia Tech and Newtown, but also because there have been many other heart wrenching incidents nationwide for over 20 years.

Education Week Report Details

There have been 17 school shootings this year.

There have been 109 school shootings since 2018, when Education Week began tracking such incidents.

The highest number of shootings, 34, occurred last year. There were 10 shootings in 2020, and 24 each in 2019 and 2018.

Latest Situations

·       On March 15, there were multiple incidents reported.

·       In Baltimore, MD, an 18-year-old student was shot and wounded outside Dunbar High School.

·       In Dorchester, MA, a teacher and a student were shot and wounded outside TechBoston Academy while getting ready for a school event.

·       In Yakima, WA, one student was killed and another student was injured in a shooting outside Eisenhower High School.

Injuries & Deaths

·       17 School shootings with injuries or deaths

·       33 People killed or injured in a school shooting

·       5   People killed

·       4   Students or other children killed

·       1   School employees or other adults killed

·       28  People injured

Where the Shootings Happened

Yakima, WA; San Antonio, TX; Olathe, KA; Des Moines, IW; Richfield, MN; Rockville, MD; Sanford, FL; Dorchester, MA; Beloit, WI; Milwaukee, WI;  Pittsburgh, PA; Buffalo, NY; Baltimore, MD; Miami Gardens, FL.

These details refer to incidents that meet all the following criteria:

·       where a firearm was discharged

·       where any individual, other than the suspect or perpetrator, has a bullet wound resulting from the incident

·       that happen on K-12 school property or on a school bus

·       that occur while school is in session or during a school-sponsored event

Education Week does not track incidents in which the only shots fired were from an individual authorized to carry a gun, such as a school resource officer, and who did so in their official capacity.                      

Since 1981, Education Week has been America's most trusted resource for K-12 education news and information

https://www.edweek.org/leadership/school-shootings-this-year-how-many-and-where/2022/01

During the BCPCA event, copies of my latest cover story in The Chief of Police were also made available to all attendees. It featured the article titled Understanding the Profession: Igniting 21st Century Ethical Policing as well as Law Enforcement's Covid Vaccine Controversy Demands Resolution.

About the Author

Vincent J. Bove, CPP, founder of Reawakening America LLC, is a national speaker and author with over 300 published works.  Bove is recipient of the FBI Director's Community Leadership Award and former confident of the New York Yankees.  He is a partner with Global Security Resolutions LLC and served as spokesperson for a coalition of Virginia Tech tragedy victim’s families. His most recent books are Reawakening America and Listen To Their Cries.

For more information see www.vincentbove.com or twitter@vincentjbove

Related Coverage:

Five Preliminary Tips for Improving American School Security

Violence Prevention: Securing Our Public Spaces and Schools

American School Violence Demands Moral Courage

America’s School Issues and Response: Coronavirus, Security, Character, Academics 

PHOTOS

1. The Chief of Police, Vincent J. Bove cover story, Fall 2021, Vol. XXXIX, made available to the BCPCA during my Jan. 20, 2022 remarks.

2. The Chief of Police, Vincent J. Bove cover story, Spring 2018, Vol. XXXIII, No. 1.

3. The Chief of Police, Vincent J. Bove cover story, Fall 2018, Vol. XXXIII, No. 3.

4. The Chief of Police, Vincent J. Bove cover story, Spring 2016, Vol. XXXI, No. 1.