Franklin County Officials Learn Preventative Ways To Keep Students Safe
By: Bejoy Joseph
Updated: February 18, 2013
WAYNESBORO, PA- Since the recent school massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., Franklin County officials are learning ways to keep their students safe.
A national expert spoke to them on Monday about how to prevent a similar tragedy from occurring.
Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Dave Grossman is considered an expert in violent crimes, as well as a former West Point psychology professor. He spoke to school and law enforcement officials in Franklin County about the increase in media violence.
The former Army Ranger says the level of violence is higher than ever. He said the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting could just be the beginning of more shootings to come.
"The sickest video games, the sickest movies are very very sick indeed, and the kids who do nothing on earth but play the sickest video games and watch the sickest movies are very sick kids," Col. Dave Grossman.
Grossman says we need to monitor what children do on a daily basis. He also says school classrooms need extra security to prevent intruders from entering.
"Keep the doors locked. Lock all the exterior doors all the time, and control access who comes in. Lock the interior doors and the classroom doors, keep them locked all the time," says Grossman.
Franklin County officials stress they'll do everything to keep students safe.
"Now more than ever we have to be concerned with issues of violence in our schools and in our community. So the more awareness, the more education we can obtain, the better prepared we will be," says Trooper Edward Asbury, Pennsylvania State Police.
"You just never know what situation we are going to be in, and we do need to be ready. The more we can do to prepare ourselves for anything that could come down, and hopefully nothing will ever happen. But at the same time we need to be ready," says Sherian Diller, Waynesboro Area School District.
The seminar was organized by Franklin County District Attorney, Matthew Fogal. More than 250 law enforcement and school officials attended the event.
A national expert spoke to them on Monday about how to prevent a similar tragedy from occurring.
Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Dave Grossman is considered an expert in violent crimes, as well as a former West Point psychology professor. He spoke to school and law enforcement officials in Franklin County about the increase in media violence.
The former Army Ranger says the level of violence is higher than ever. He said the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting could just be the beginning of more shootings to come.
"The sickest video games, the sickest movies are very very sick indeed, and the kids who do nothing on earth but play the sickest video games and watch the sickest movies are very sick kids," Col. Dave Grossman.
Grossman says we need to monitor what children do on a daily basis. He also says school classrooms need extra security to prevent intruders from entering.
"Keep the doors locked. Lock all the exterior doors all the time, and control access who comes in. Lock the interior doors and the classroom doors, keep them locked all the time," says Grossman.
Franklin County officials stress they'll do everything to keep students safe.
"Now more than ever we have to be concerned with issues of violence in our schools and in our community. So the more awareness, the more education we can obtain, the better prepared we will be," says Trooper Edward Asbury, Pennsylvania State Police.
"You just never know what situation we are going to be in, and we do need to be ready. The more we can do to prepare ourselves for anything that could come down, and hopefully nothing will ever happen. But at the same time we need to be ready," says Sherian Diller, Waynesboro Area School District.
The seminar was organized by Franklin County District Attorney, Matthew Fogal. More than 250 law enforcement and school officials attended the event.
