The following SEICO blog content provides you with highlights from the in-depth EVOLV Technology blog:
(How the Threat of Gun Violence Will Change in 2023: Experts Share Their Predictions)
While this blog was originally written for 2023, the trends and predictions remain relevant as we move into 2024. The need to address threats to public safety persists, with schools and certain public venues being the most vulnerable areas.
Prediction #1: Schools and communities will work more closely together to improve school safety, and public safety, using a holistic approach that integrates people, processes and technology.
John Pistole, former United States Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), advises:
“There are three actions school administrators and school boards can take. First is recognizing that there is a gun violence issue in this country. Second is to mitigate the risk of a school shooting. This may include increasing the presence of physical security with off duty police officers or school resource officers, combined with more advanced locks and access control systems. The third part is taking action. For example, there are still some COVID-19 relief funds available that are designed for public health. With their fairly broad limitations, those funds can be used as part of the actions to increase school safety.”
Prediction #2: Improvements to some, but not all, of the biggest threats to public safety. The biggest areas of vulnerability are schools and select public venues.
According to Jill Lemond, director of education at Evolv, “The biggest threat facing school administrators is having to do more with less. Right now, it feels like they’re tasked with the impossible as mental health issues are on the rise and fewer teachers and administrators enter the profession. I predict we’ll see some improvements when it comes to addressing the needs of administrators, especially as hiring gaps become even greater, having a ripple effect on students and ultimately school safety.”
Prediction #3: A greater number of tragedies become more complex due to cyber threats and ineffective incident response.
“I think we are unfortunately going to see more shootings and one of my biggest concerns is that we’ll see a physical attack combined with a cyberattack,” said Pistole.
Lemond adds, “I hope that in the future the media will stop publicizing the names of school shooters and giving attention to the crisis. If school shooters didn’t get so much attention in the news, shootings may not happen as much. Instead of focusing on the shooting, the media should focus on how families and communities can heal. The media can play a better role in highlighting what the public can do and bring greater awareness to the mental health resources that are available.”
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