Schools often first line of defense in identifying, treating kids with mental illness

They teach kids to read, write and solve math problems, and to work and play well with others.

And along with those lessons, educators are increasingly being trained to spot depression, anxiety and other troubling behaviors in their students, with administrators and teachers forming the first line of defense against mental illness.

"We provide psychiatric first aid," said Ailleth Tom, who coordinates crisis counseling and mental health services for the Los Angeles Unified School District. "We really listen, protect and connect students with services.

"We don't ask, `What's wrong with you?"' she said. "We ask, `What's happened to you?"'

Speculation about the mental health of the 20-year-old gunman in the Connecticut school shootings has focused attention on the need for the early treatment of troubling behavior in the nation's adolescents and teens.

Los Angeles Unified has long partnered with local law enforcement agencies and mental health experts in Los Angeles County, where crisis- and threat-assessment teams evaluate student activity that could potentially lead to violence.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_22246649/schools-often-first-line-defense-identifying-treating-kids

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Mexico: Report lists more than 20,000 people missing over the past six years

MEXICO CITY - Federal police officer Luis Angel Leon Rodriguez disappeared in 2009 along with six fellow police as they headed to the western state of Michoacan to fight drug traffickers.

Since then, his mother, Araceli Rodriguez, has taken it into her own hands to investigate her son's disappearance and has publicized the case inside and outside Mexico. She's found some clues about what happened but still doesn't have any certainty about her son's whereabouts.

As Mexican troops and police cracked down on drug cartels, who also battled among themselves, Leon was just one of thousands of people who went missing amid a wave of violence that stunned the nation. A new report by a civic participation group has put a number for the first time on the human toll: 20,851 people disappeared over the past six years, although not every case on the list has been proven related to the drug war.

With at least another 70,000 deaths tied to drug violence, the numbers point to a brutal episode that ranks among Latin America's deadliest in decades. In Chile, nearly 3,100 people were killed, among them 1,200 considered disappeared, for political reasons during Augusto Pinochet's 1973-1990 dictatorship, and at least 50,000 people disappeared during 40 years of internal conflict in Colombia.

The new database is shedding needed light on Mexico's unfolding tragedy. It's also sparking angry questions about why it doesn't include all of the disappeared. Neither Rodriguez's son nor his six colleagues who went missing on Nov. 16, 2009, are in the database, which was allegedly leaked by the Attorney General's Office to a foreign journalist. The group Propuesta Civica, or Civic Proposal, released the data on Thursday.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_22246855/mexico-report-lists-more-than-20-000-people

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Predicting events such as Connecticut school shooting not easy

CHICAGO - It happened after Columbine, Virginia Tech, Aurora, Colo., and now Sandy Hook: People figure there surely were signs of impending violence. But experts say predicting who will be the next mass shooter is virtually impossible - partly because as commonplace as these calamities seem, they are relatively rare crimes.

Still, a combination of risk factors in troubled kids or adults including drug use and easy access to guns can increase the likelihood of violence, experts say.

But warning signs "only become crystal clear in the aftermath, said James Alan Fox, a Northeastern University criminology professor who has studied and written about mass killings.

"They're yellow flags. They only become red flags once the blood is spilled," he said.

Whether 20-year-old Adam Lanza, who used his mother's guns to kill her and then 20 children and six adults at their Connecticut school, made any hints about his plans isn't publicly known.

Fox said that sometimes, in the days, weeks or months preceding their crimes, mass murderers voice threats, or hints, either verbally or in writing, things like `"don't come to school tomorrow,"` or `"they're going to be sorry for mistreating me."` Some prepare by target practicing, and plan their clothing "as well as their arsenal." (Police said Lanza went to shooting ranges with his mother in the past but not in the last six months.).

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_22246445/predicting-events-such-connecticut-school-shooting-not-easy

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From ICE

FY 2012: ICE announces year-end removal numbers, highlights focus on key priorities and issues new national detainer guidance to further focus resources

WASHINGTON – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director John Morton today announced the agency's fiscal year (FY) 2012 year-end removal numbers, highlighting trends that underscore the administration's focus on removing from the country convicted criminals and other individuals that fall into priority areas for enforcement. To further focus ICE resources on the most serious criminal offenders, ICE today also issued new national detainer guidance . This guidance limits the use of detainers to individuals who meet the department's enforcement priorities and restricts the use of detainers against individuals arrested for minor misdemeanor offenses such as traffic offenses and other petty crimes, helping to ensure that available resources are focused on apprehending felons, repeat offenders and other ICE priorities. It is applicable to all ICE enforcement programs, including Secure Communities.

"Smart and effective immigration enforcement relies on setting priorities for removal and executing on those priorities," said Director Morton. "In order to further enhance our ability to focus enforcement efforts on serious offenders, we are changing who ICE will issue detainers against. While the FY 2012 removals indicate that we continue to make progress in focusing resources on criminal and priority aliens, with more convicted criminals being removed from the country than ever before, we are constantly looking for ways to ensure that we are doing everything we can to utilize our resources in a way that maximizes public safety."

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano has directed ICE to focus its resources on key priorities in all aspects of its immigration enforcement efforts. ICE's implementation of this directive includes today's new national detainer policy, as well as the continued use of investigations and programs like Operation Cross Check that target criminal aliens and ICE's expanded collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to remove recent border crossers.

http://www.ice.gov/news/releases/1212/121221washingtondc2.htm

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Dec 22, 2012

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Schools across the U.S. close as threats pour in

Schools across the country closed Friday as threats of violence and rumors of threats came hit districts in states including Michigan, Idaho, Pennsylvania, Maine, Illinois, California, Florida, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Washington, and Oklahoma.

A number of schools were also closed in Connecticut, where the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting kicked off the wave of concern, but the threats appear most widespread in Michigan.

"The process of education has just been so disruptive that it was a unanimous decision by all superintendents" in Lapeer County to shut down, Tom English, superintendent of North Branch Area schools told the Detroit Free Press. "We're not happy about it."

One student, a 16-year-old in Jackson County, Mich., was arrested for threatening to come into school on Friday and "shoot people," The Oakland Press reports.

http://www.dailynews.com/ci_22239570

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NRA calls for armed guards in schools after Sandy Hook shootings

WASHINGTON - The nation's largest gun rights advocacy group called today for armed guards in every U.S. school to prevent mass shootings like the one in Connecticut last week, a plan that would cost billions.

In a press conference at a hotel near the White House, National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre criticized calls for new gun control laws and blamed a federal law creating gun-free school zones for the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School and elsewhere.

"We care about our money, so we protect our banks with armed guards," he said. "American airports, office buildings, power plants, courthouses, even sports stadiums all are protected by armed security. Yet when it comes to our most beloved, innocent and vulnerable members of the American family - our children - we as a society leave them everyday utterly defenseless."

The NRA also announced a new effort led by former Rep. Asa Hutchinson, R-Ark., to develop a model school safety program that could be copied by school districts around the country.

http://www.dailynews.com/ci_22238985

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Georgia

Officials: Armed officers in every school a challenge

Rome and Floyd County have armed police officers in some schools, but putting armed officers in every school would be a fiscal challenge, according to local police officials.

The National Rifle Association broke its silence Friday about last week’s shooting rampage at a Connecticut elementary school that left 26 children and staff dead.

“The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” the group’s top lobbyist, Wayne LaPierre, said at a Washington news conference.

LaPierre announced that former Rep. Asa Hutchison, R-Ark., will lead an NRA program that will develop a model security plan for schools that relies on armed volunteers.

Locally, an armed police officer splits time between Rome High School and Rome Middle School, but none are assigned to the elementary schools, according to Rome Police Chief Elaine Snow.

http://romenews-tribune.com/view/full_story/21214532/article-Officials--Armed-officers-in-every-school-a-challenge?instance=home_news_lead

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California

Opinion

NRA's idea to militarize our schools won't make us safer: Opinion

It took a lot of nerve this morning for the head of the National Rifle Association to call for armed guards in every school across the United States just one week after the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary. Militarizing our country's schools is an extreme overreaction and not the answer to countering the killing.

During NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre's press conference, he disrespected the victims, blamed everyone but the gun culture and completely ignored the fact that there needs to be a wider discussion on how to prevent gun violence altogether, along with a need to improve care for mentally ill people like gunman Adam Lanza.

With all the funding cuts to education, LaPierre's idea to post armed guards at every school is unattainable and ludicrous. On top of that, schools are already capable of hiring guards to protect students. Further, it's not at all clear whether an armed guard posted at Sandy Hook would have been able to stop Lanza, who entered the school with a military-style weapon and high-capacity clip.

An armed guard was on duty during the 1999 shooting at Colorado's Columbine High School, but 12 students and a teacher were still gunned down by a pair of young men who were clearly disturbed.

http://www.dailynews.com/ci_22240975

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Texas

Beginning in Jan., a Grand Prairie police officer will patrol each city school daily

The Grand Prairie Police Department announced a plan Friday to bolster security by having an officer patrol each of the city's 47 school campuses beginning in January.

While Grand Prairie middle and high schools already have school resource officers patrolling them, department spokesman Lyle Gensler says they'll now have a presence at elementary schools as well.

The decision comes a week after a gunman killed 26 at a Connecticut elementary school, 20 of whom were children.

Gensler said the plan is "an effort to better protect our youngest, most defenseless children in our elementary schools."

According to a release, police higher ups will meet with administrators for each school district in Grand Prairie to "review security plans and make any needed additional recommendations." Patrol officers will meet with officials at each school to better their professional relationship.

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Beginning-in-Jan-a-Grand-Prairie-police-officer-will-be-stationed-at-each-school-184440591.html

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Pennsylvania

Tatamy, Stockertown Mayors Want Tougher Gun Laws

Mayors for Tatamy, Stockertown and Bath -- as well as more than 750 U.S. mayors -- sent a letter to President Obama urging him to "make it harder for dangerous people to possess guns, and easier for police and prosecutors to crack down on them."

Editor's note: The following is a letter sent Wednesday to the White House from the group Mayors Against Illegal Guns. Among the mayors signing were Sherman Metzgar of Stockertown, Luke Duignam of Tatamy and Donald L. Wunderler of Bath.

This letter is in response to a different gun crime: the school shooting last week in Newtown, Conn.

Dear President Obama,

On Friday, Dec. 14, the entire nation watched as parents stood outside the Sandy Hook Elementary School and waited, desperately hoping to be reunited with their children. That moment will never end for the families of the 20 children and six adults who were murdered that day at the school.

As mayors, we are charged with keeping our communities safe. But too many of us have sat with mothers and fathers of children killed with guns. Twenty-four children enrolled in public schools in your hometown of Chicago were shot to death just last year.

http://nazareth.patch.com/articles/tatamy-stockertown-mayors-want-tougher-gun-laws

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Maryland Nonprofits Awarded Grants to Combat Domestic Violence

Thirteen groups received a total of $200,000 from the Verizon Foundation to help in their efforts to raise awareness and end domestic violence.

Thirteen charities from across Maryland gathered at Anne Arundel Medical Center to receive their share of $200,000 in grants from Verizon to help raise awareness and stop domestic violence.

"Domestic violence is a serious but preventable crime that affects millions of Americans in every segment of society," said a statement from Anthony Lewis, Verizon’s mid-Atlantic region vice president of state government affairs. "Verizon has focused resources and funding for a number of years to help break this vicious cycle and make a meaningful impact on these victims’ lives.”

Lewis' company donated the grants fund thought its Verizon Foundation—which has donated more than half a billion dollars to charities across the country since 2000. The company also provides wireless phones and airtime to victims of domestic violence.

Verizon officials gathered with Maryland lawmakers at the hospital to present the checks and discuss honor the work being done by the 13 groups.

http://annapolis.patch.com/articles/maryland-nonprofits-combat-domestic-violence

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Women Prisoners Endure Rampant Sexual Violence; Current Laws Not Sufficient

Allowing male guards to oversee female prisoners is a recipe for trouble, says former political prisoner Laura Whitehorn. Now a frequent lecturer on incarceration policies and social justice, Whitehorn describes a culture in which women are stripped of their power on the most basic level. "Having male guards sends a message that female prisoners have no right to defend their bodies," she begins. "Putting women under men in authority makes the power imbalance as stark as it can be, and results in long-lasting repercussions post- release."

Abuse, of course, can take many forms, from the flagrant - outright rape, groping, invasive pat-downs and peeping during showers or while an inmate is on the toilet - to verbal taunts or harassing comments. And while advocates for the incarcerated have long tried to draw attention to these conditions, they've made little to no headway. But that may be changing thanks to the promulgation of rules, finalized in June, to stem the overt sexual abuse of prisoners. The nine-years-in-the-making Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) is the first law in US history to address the sexual abuse of those in lock-up, and its passage made clear that the sexual abuse of the incarcerated - men and women - is a pervasive problem in prisons throughout the 50 states. But let's hold off on PREA for a minute and first zero in on the reality of female incarceration more generally.

According to The Sentencing Project, between 1980 and 2010, the number of incarcerated women ballooned by 646 percent, from 15,118 to 112,797; most were convicted of nonviolent offenses. Add in females who are incarcerated in local jails and the number increases to approximately 205,000. In addition, more than 712,000 women are presently on probation, and another more than 103,000 are on parole.

http://truth-out.org/news/item/13280-women-prisoners-endure-rampant-sexual-violence-current-laws-not-sufficient

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Maryland

Volunteers Pack Christmas Dinners For Needy Families

BALTIMORE (WJZ)—Baltimoreans are reaching out to help others during the holidays. It’s happening in South Baltimore.

Ron Matz reports city police are teaming up with a popular restaurant to make sure it will be a Merry Christmas for those in need.

The spirit of giving is alive and well at the Southern District Police Station.

“It feels good. Anytime you can help someone less fortunate, especially in your own community. It’s nice to extend that,” said Brian McComas, Ryleigh’s Oyster.

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2012/12/21/volunteers-are-packing-christmas-dinners-for-needy-families/

"We hear you," said Mr. Obama. "Like the majority of Americans, I believe the Second Amendment guarantees the right to bear arms...It's encouraging that many gun owners have stepped up this week to say there are steps we can take to prevent more tragedies like the one in Newtown - steps that both protect our rights and protect our kids."

"This week I called on Congress to take up and pass common sense legislation that has the support of a majority of the American people, including banning the sale of military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips."

The president also referenced the gun violence task force he created, chaired by Vice President Biden, that has been tasked with generating policy ideas about how to reduce gun violence.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-34222_162-57560409-10391739/obama-asks-americans-to-help-with-gun-law-changes/

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California

Building Relationships in LA Brings Down Crime Rate

LOS ANGELES — Despite violent events like last week's school shootings in Connecticut, the crime rate in the United States has generally been falling, and serious crimes like murder and rape have been declining. In Los Angeles, better relationships between the police and community are making neighborhoods safer.

A quiet afternoon is interrupted with the sound of helicopters as dozens of officers from the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department and California Highway Patrol capture a suspect in a robbery and shooting. The arrest followed a 100-kilometer car chase.

It took place outside a community center in a low-income housing project called Imperial Courts, where the Los Angeles Police Department was conducting a toy giveaway.

Police chief Charlie Beck helped hand out the presents. It was part of an outreach to the community in South Los Angeles that has led to a major drop in crime in these projects and the city. Things were different a few years ago, says LAPD Captain Phillip Tingirides.

http://www.voanews.com/content/crime-rate-guns/1569282.html

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Dec 20, 2012

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Three State Department officials resign in wake of Benghazi report

WASHINGTON -- Three State Department officials resigned under pressure Wednesday, less than a day after a damning report blamed management failures for a lack of security at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, where militants killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans on Sept. 11.

An administration official said Eric Boswell, the assistant secretary of state for diplomatic security, Charlene Lamb, the deputy assistant secretary responsible for embassy security, and an unnamed official with the Bureau of Near East Affairs, had stepped down. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss personnel matters publicly.

The report said poor leadership in both bureaus left the post underprotected.

"Systemic failures and leadership and management deficiencies at senior levels within two bureaus" resulted in a security level that was "inadequate for Benghazi and grossly inadequate to deal with the attack that took place," according to the report released late Tuesday by the independent Accountability Review Board.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_22223676/three-state-department-officials-resign-wake-benghazi-report

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Obama vows to send gun proposals to Congress by January

WASHINGTON -- Spurred by a horrific elementary school shooting, President Barack Obama vowed to send Congress new policy proposals for reducing gun violence by January.

"This time, the words need to lead to action," Obama said Wednesday. He tasked Vice President Joe Biden with leading an administration-wide effort to create the new recommendations and pledged to push for their implementation without delay.

The president, who exerted little political capital on gun control despite a series of mass shootings in his first term, bristled at suggestions that he had been silent on the issue during his first four years in office. But he acknowledged that Friday's deadly shooting had been "a wake-up call for all of us."

Twenty children and six adults were killed when a man carrying a military-style rifle stormed Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., Friday morning.

The president also called on Congress Wednesday to reinstate an assault weapons ban that expired in 2004 and to pass legislation that would close the gun show "loophole," which allows people to purchase firearms from private dealers without a background check. Obama also said he wanted Congress to pursue the possibility of limiting high-capacity ammunition clips.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_22223288/president-obama-press-policy-changes-after-connecticut-school

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Ohio

Ohio AG: Schools should have choice to arm staff

DeWine says many safety plans inadequate

A “significant number” of safety plans Ohio schools submitted to his office won't meet best-practice guidelines, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said Wednesday.

The guidelines, established by DeWine's School Safety Task Force and released Tuesday, include precautions for fires, bomb threats, medical emergencies and school shootings. Ohio law does not specify what schools must submit, DeWine said during a news conference announcing new training for teachers.

The ambiguity left some schools submitting outdated floor plans or safety plans for limited situations, he said.

“They are all over the place,” said DeWine, adding that state school and attorney general's office officials would work with schools to get plans up to snuff.

Incorporating an armed principal or police officer into school safety plans should be decided on a school-by-school basis, but it's a discussion worth having, DeWine said.

http://www.marionstar.com/article/20121220/NEWS01/312190018/Ohio-AG-Schools-should-choice-arm-staff?nclick_check=1

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Ohio

Proposed gun range near 2 Ohio schools causes uproar

LOVELAND, Ohio -- Residents of this eastern Hamilton County, Ohio, community are in an uproar over plans to open an indoor gun range just 100 yards away from more than 1,000 students in two Loveland, Ohio, elementary schools, an issue especially controversial in light of last week's massacre at a Connecticut school.

The proposed range is across the block from Loveland Primary School, which educates about 500 students in grades 1 and 2, and the attached Loveland Elementary School with about 700 third and fourth graders.

"My concern is we keep our children and our community safe," said Valerie Kincaid, 44, who has two children in the school district. "I actually grew up with gun safety and guns in the house. I am not a person who thinks law abiding citizens shouldn't have access to guns for hunting or public protection as long as they follow the laws and are not a danger to others or themselves. I even went to gun ranges with my dad, but I never saw one located so close to a school.

Kincaid and others spoke out against the proposal at Loveland City Council's meeting Tuesday. City leaders explained the gun range was legally permitted at the proposed site, a vacant storefront.

"There have to be other appropriate spots around Loveland or the general region here," Kincaid said. "I guess it raises the question just because you legally can do something, maybe you should ask the deeper question: Is it the right thing to do at that location?"

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/12/19/proposed-gun-range-near-school/1780779/

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New Jersey

Letter to the Editor

Nothing like a local cop on the beat

I was sad to hear that Demarest, a relatively upscale community in Bergen County, was voting via its town council to replace local police with County Police. In graduate schools at Fordham University and the City University, I had a major and a minor in criminal justice and related topics, often taking courses with FBI, New York City Organized Crime Police, and other police under special funding now long gone. I spent some small time at John Jay, the New York Police Academy, and became very acquainted with the concept of community policing.

In my tenure at those schools, a New York police commissioner named Braxton held that the local community policing, and seeing different typologies of crime developing, signified that crime was increasing in intensity, and resources must be placed in that community sector. Sociologists and criminologists later called Braxton's concept the "Broken Windows" thesis of crime, as the windows broken in a community sector of NYC were the first notice of crime increasing, which if not contained would lead to more significant rate of criminality. It was Braxton's idea, but a New York mayor took full credit.

Only local police can have that ability and the freedom to know the culture of their community. Local cops come from the community and know just about everybody. Demarest is not a large community, but local police can know without labeling the delinquents and those with more serious criminal intent by visiting local juvenile hangouts, and being a friendly force in the community.

If I were a council person in a town like Demarest or a freeholder, I would hold my vote for local cops to be in those police cars, and even on the streets and hangouts.

Bill Weightman,
Hardyston

Help Catch Bank Robbers -- New Website Targets Suspects Nationwide

Bank robbers last year walked away from federally insured banks, credit unions, savings and loan associations, and armored trucks with more than $38 million in cash, according to the last full year of FBI bank crime statistics. In one in five cases, the money was recovered. In the unsolved cases, surveillance images of suspects were often posted online—on FBI wanted posters and elsewhere—to enlist the public's help.

To further that effort, the FBI has launched a new Wanted Bank Robbers website at bankrobbers.fbi.gov, the first national system of its kind.

The new site features a gallery of unknown suspects and a map function that plots robbery locations. Users can search by name, location, or other factors. Search results deliver a Wanted by the FBI poster that contains more images, a suspect's full description, and a brief narrative of the crime.

“This website is an operational tool that will help law enforcement identify and prosecute bank robbers more quickly, with the public's help,” says Jason DiJoseph, who runs the FBI's bank robbery program at FBI Headquarters. “The idea is to make it easier for the public to recognize and turn in potential suspects and to draw connections between robberies in different cities and states.”

http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2012/december/new-website-targets-bank-robbers-nationwide/new-website-targets-bank-robbers-nationwide

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Dec 19, 2012

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Florida

A balm for sorrow: random acts of kindness

As the nation mourns the loss of 26 innocent lives at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., the debate already has begun on how to prevent such carnage.

I'm not going to pretend to have the answers here.

But I do know we could all use an extra dose of kindness these days. No, it probably won't ease the grief for heartbroken parents in Newtown, but it can help the rest of us do more than shake our heads at an unimaginable act of violence. It can help us see the good — and the selfless and compassionate and generous, those who give time they don't have and money they could easily spend on themselves. And maybe we can celebrate by perpetuating their examples.

On Friday, as we were still sifting fact from rumor in Newtown, a group of MBA students from Rollins College were donating new 1,100 new toys they'd collected to the young patients in Arnold Parlmer Children's Hospital.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/changetheworld/2012/12/a-balm-for-sorrow-random-acts-of-kindness-2.html

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There's no magic shield as educators struggle to ensure kids are safe

On campuses throughout the Bay Area, it was math and phonics as usual Monday -- although in the back of teachers' minds, the tape of the horrific shootings in Newtown, Conn., ran, over and over.

School leaders assured parents that their campuses have in place security devices and protocols -- ranging from visitor sign-in requirements to lockdown practices for students. But even as they expressed confidence in those measures, school officials also were reflecting on how they could improve them.

Valley Christian Schools in San Jose quickly plugged what it saw as a hole in its security: On Monday, it added an armed guard to its elementary school staff.

After Columbine, the private school began posting armed guards at its junior high and high school campus. School officials didn't believe the elementary school was as vulnerable, Chief Operating Officer Steve McMinn said. "We've had our opinions changed in a hurry."

The three campuses, which together have 2,400 students, also will boost other measures intended to buy time and reduce casualties in case of an attack.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_22211506/theres-no-magic-shield-educators-struggle-ensure-kids

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Alabama

Forget gun control; give us mental health

Given my chosen profession, it's safe to say I'm all for people exercising their right to the freedom of speech.

So, here's mine on the recent school shooting in Connecticut that claimed the lives of 20 children and seven adults.

We can all agree that the death of so many innocent people is trulytragic. When I first heard the news, all I could think of was those parents having to go home and seeing the presents under the Christmas tree. Makes me tear up now thinking about it.

When news of the shooting broke, the discussions began – mostly about the senselessness of the situation (of which I agree), followed closely by opinions on gun control.

http://www.andalusiastarnews.com/2012/12/19/forget-gun-control-give-us-mental-health/

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Gun buyback in Van Nuys on Dec. 26

Individuals who turn in their weapons will receive gift certificates of up to $200 from Ralphs markets.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck announced this week that they moved up the annual gun buyback from Mother's Day weekend in an effort to reduce gun violence in the city.

"Cities and states must join with the federal government to do everything we can, as quickly as we can, to keep our communities safe," Villaraigosa said. "It is absolutely critical to provide Angelenos with concrete actions they can take today to make our city safer tomorrow."

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_22219058/gun-buyback-van-nuys-dec-26

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Utah sixth-grader taken into custody after bringing gun to school, cites mass shooting fear

SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah sixth-grader caught with a gun at school told administrators he brought the weapon to defend himself in case of an attack similar to last week's mass shooting at a Connecticut school, officials said Tuesday.

The 11-year-old was being held in juvenile detention on suspicion of possessing a dangerous weapon and aggravated assault after other students at the suburban Salt Lake City elementary school told police he threatened them with the handgun.

Teachers and administrators at West Kearns Elementary School confronted the boy in class Monday after students reported the weapon, said Granite School District spokesman Ben Horsley. The boy had an unloaded gun and ammunition in his backpack, Horsley said.

The boy waved the gun at others during a morning recess, school officials said. Other students, however, didn't report the threat until classes were nearly finished for the day. There was no immediate explanation for the delay, authorities said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/utah-sixth-grader-taken-into-custody-after-bringing-gun-to-school-cites-mass-shooting-fear/

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Florida

Sanford panel asked to help heal relations between community, cops

SANFORD — A group of nearly two dozen Sanford residents was asked Tuesday night to come up with ideas to build better relations between citizens and the police department in the wake of the Trayvon Martin shooting.

Over the next six months, the Police Community Relations Blue Ribbon Panel will be asked to take a look at the Police Department's policies and procedures regarding community relations and suggest how those can be improved.

The panel, including businessmen, lawyers, pastors and a former mayor, also will be responsible for coming up with strategies to strengthen community policing and crime-prevention efforts.

"Give us what you think we need to improve the relations between the community and the Sanford Police Department," City Manager Norton Bonaparte told the 11 panelists who attended the introductory meeting. "I don't think that the trust is there [between the community and the Police Department]. So how do we rebuild that trust?...You have the opportunity to re-shape the Sanford community for years to come."

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-12-18/news/os-sanford-police-community-panel-20121218_1_sanford-panel-city-manager-norton-bonaparte-justin-collison

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Dec 18, 2012

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LAPD officers to stop daily at local schools to boost security

The LAPD will have officers stop daily at Los Angeles Unified's 600 elementary and middle schools - and any charter or private school that requests a visit - as part of the beefed-up student security measures sparked by the Connecticut school shooting, officials said Monday.

The deployment of uniformed and plainclothes officers - which Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck called a "significant, significant task" - will complement the armed school district police already stationed daily at every LAUSD high school.

"A barrier has been broken in our culture, and that barrier is the safety of our youngest residents," Beck said at a Monday press conference. "It's all of our jobs, to make sure that we resurrect that barrier and that our children are safe."

With the flags flying at half-staff in memory of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims, city and district officials came together to discuss steps they are taking to avert a tragedy like the one that claimed the lives of 20 children and six adults.

Although winter break for students began Monday, administrators at Los Angeles Unified started reviewing the safety plans and procedures for all 1,000 campuses, including the public's access to the schools. An initial check found that fewer than 10 campuses lack a perimeter fence, he said.

http://www.dailynews.com/ci_22211853

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New York

School districts should hire community police officers for protection, says Feiner

GREENBURGH – The federal government should provide funding for school districts that wish to hire school resource officers – police officers assigned to the districts, Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner said Monday. His suggestion that he is communicating to the area's congressional delegation, comes in the wake of the Newtown, CT school shootings that left 20 small children and six adults in the school dead.

Feiner said SROs are assigned to schools to provide full police services including maintaining order on the school campus and to reduce the fear of crime in the community. They also can work with students who are victims of bullying, educate the community about everything from parking and traffic concerns to criminal offenses, he said.

“One of the core components of community policing is to build partnerships and relationships for the purpose of creating safe school environments,” Feiner said. “On an individual basis, the SRO can improve the relationship between youth and police one child at a time.”
The supervisor said in a crisis situation the SRO would have the ability to community with school administrators and police officials and understand the needs of both entities.

Feiner also called for an end to gun shows being allowed in Westchester County facilities. County Executive Robert Astorino said there is no signed contact for the Sportsmen Firearm and Knife Show at the County Center in 2013, and while it has been a popular show, “at this time as the country grieves the loss of life in Newtown, a contact renewal is not appropriate.”

The health risk of having a gun in the home

And it doesn't matter how the guns are stored or what type or how many guns you own.

If you have a gun, everybody in your home is more likely than your non-gun-owning neighbors and their families to die in a gun-related accident, suicide or homicide.

Furthermore, there is no credible evidence that having a gun in your house reduces your risk of being a victim of a crime. Nor does it reduce your risk of being injured during a home break-in.

The health risks of owning a gun are so established and scientifically non-controvertible that the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement in 2000 recommending that pediatricians urge parents to remove all guns from their homes.

http://www.minnpost.com/second-opinion/2012/12/health-risk-having-gun-home

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Pomona man jailed, 9 weapons seized, after threats to schools on Facebook

LOS ANGELES -- A California man was arrested and nine guns, including rifles and a shotgun, were seized after threats were posted on Facebook against Los Angeles elementary schools, police said Monday.

Kyle Bangayan, 24, of Pomona was booked into the downtown jail Sunday for investigation of making criminal threats, police Cmdr. Andrew Smith said. He remained in jail with bail set at $500,000.

Police and FBI agents went to the east Hollywood home of Bangayan's father after a resident notified authorities about the threatening postings that referred to the deadly school shootings in Connecticut, Smith said.

"When we get information like this, we take it very seriously, even more so now in light of the Connecticut school shootings," Smith said.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_22209063

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Volunteers Hang Blue and Black Ribbons in Downtown Topeka to Honor Fallen Officers

With the rip of tearing fabric and the hiss of the iron, volunteers turned a downtown Topeka street corner into an assembly line Monday night.

There was just one goal: To honor the two Topeka Police officers killed.

Cpl. David Gogian and officer Jeff Atherly were shot and killed while investigating possible drug activity at a Topeka grocery store Sunday.

"We have a lot of friends on the police force. There isn't a lot we can do but show they are not alone and they are important," downtown business owner and volunteer Carol Briman said.

Less than an hour after hundreds of people attended a candlelight vigil at the Law Enforcement Center in downtown Topeka, volunteers began making and tying black and blue ribbons around light poles just steps away.

http://www.kake.com/news/headlines/Volunteers-hang-blue-and-black-ribbons-in-downtown-Topeka-183886261.html?ref=261

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Michigan

Flint receives grant for community policing program

FLINT, MI (WNEM) - The city of Flint received a $742,520 grant to support its community policing program. The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation grant will support 10 patrol officers and one sergeant for the city's police department.

It will also help fund nine neighborhood safety officers and two program coordinators, who will focus on public safety concerns and blight issues. They will also work with neighborhood groups, such as Blue Badge and Lifeline, and other community organizations.

The money is especially helpful because it will allow Flint to maintain existing police services as the city transitions to funding from a public safety millage.

Emergency Financial Manager Ed Kurtz said he is grateful to the Moft Foundation for its commitment to Flint and the safety of area residents.

Mott support to the City of Flint for the community policing program has totaled $3.84 million since 2010.

Dec 17, 2012

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California

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein vows to introduce assault-weapons ban on first day of new session

"We've tried to take my bill from '94 to 2004 and perfect it," the California Democrat said on the NBC "Meet The Press" program.

Feinstein authored a federal ban on assault weapons in 1994, a ban that was allowed to expire by Congress during the George W. Bush administration. On NBC today, Feinstein agreed with gun control proponent Michael Bloomberg, the New York mayor, who said he wants "weapons of war off the streets of our cities."

On the NBC program, California's senior senator said her lawyers have carefully crafted a constitutional bill that will "exempt over 900 specific weapons that will not ... fall under the bill." She said the 1994 assault rifle bill that she wrote was never challenged in court by the National Rifle Association.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_22204668/u-s-sen-dianne-feinstein-vows-introduce-assault

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Indiana

Indiana man with 47 guns arrested after school threat

CEDAR LAKE, Ind. -- A northern Indiana man who allegedly threatened to "kill as many people as he could" at an elementary school near his home was arrested by officers who later found 47 guns and ammunition hidden throughout his home.

Von. I. Meyer, 60, of Cedar Lake, was arrested Saturday after prosecutors filed formal charges of felony intimidation, domestic battery and resisting law enforcement against him. He was being held Sunday without bond at the Lake County Jail, pending an initial hearing on the charges, police said in a statement.

Cedar Lake Police officers were called to Meyer's home early Friday after he allegedly threatened to set his wife on fire once she fell asleep, the statement said.

Meyer also threatened to enter nearby Jane Ball Elementary School "and kill as many people as he could before police could stop him," the statement said. Meyer's home is less than 1,000 feet from the school and linked to it by trails and paths through a wooded area, police said.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_22204171/indiana-man-47-guns-arrested-after-school-threat

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