I joined NewsNation to discuss another tragic school shooting—a stark reminder of what happens when prevention fails. With over three decades in law enforcement, I have learned one critical truth: If we’re responding to a crisis, we’ve failed in the opportunity to prevent it.
🔷 Watch My Full NewsNation Interview Here:
The Harsh Reality We Must Face
When tragedy strikes, our instinctive reaction is often to ask, “How did this happen?” and “What could we have done differently?” Despite significant investments in security measures, improved response strategies, and better protocols, school violence remains painfully frequent. The core issue isn’t our response capability—it’s our lack of proactive intervention.
Consider these sobering statistics:
- 93% of school shootings are planned well in advance.
- In 4 out of 5 cases, someone else was aware that the violence was being planned.
These statistics underscore a crucial breakdown—not in our ability to react, but in our system’s failure to identify threats early, intervene effectively, and prevent violence before it unfolds.
During my recent discussion, I highlighted a troubling pattern evident in the Apalachee High School tragedy: The shooter had exhibited clear warning signs beforehand, yet timely intervention, monitoring, or potential legal action never occurred.
As I emphasized during the NewsNation interview:
“We must focus on what leads up to these tragic events. If we’re responding after shots are fired, we’ve already failed. Proactive prevention is the key.”
Prevention First: What It Takes
Prevention must be multifaceted and consistently proactive. There are three critical pillars:
1. Early Intervention & Detection
We must create robust, proactive systems to detect early signs of crisis and provide timely intervention. Effective early warning systems require collaboration between law enforcement, mental health professionals, educators, parents, and the broader community. Early detection involves leveraging technology to proactively monitor social media and digital platforms, where warning signs frequently emerge.
2. Accountability & Consistent Follow-Up
Simply having policies is insufficient; there must be clear accountability and rigorous follow-through. Procedures for identifying and managing potential threats must be consistently enforced, clearly documented, and continuously monitored. Each threat or concern, no matter how minor it may seem initially, requires an immediate and coordinated response.
3. Community & School Collaboration
Trust and effective communication among schools, parents, law enforcement, mental health professionals, and students are foundational to successful prevention. It’s vital to create environments where students and community members feel safe, supported, and empowered to report concerns proactively. Enhanced training and clearly defined protocols can ensure that critical information doesn’t slip through the cracks.
Why Waiting for a Crisis is Not Enough
Historically, our law enforcement approach evolved dramatically after incidents like the 1999 Columbine High School massacre. Before Columbine, police procedure during active shooter situations was to secure the perimeter and wait for SWAT to respond. Columbine fundamentally changed this tactic, prompting law enforcement agencies nationwide to adopt immediate, coordinated responses to active shooters to save lives.
However, despite these tactical advances, deeper systemic issues persist, extending beyond improved response measures. This reality calls for a broader understanding of public safety—one rooted in proactive, systemic approaches to violence prevention.
Addressing the Root Causes
School violence isn’t a singular issue with a singular solution. It requires multifaceted approaches—from better monitoring of social media platforms and stricter gun regulations, particularly regarding minors and those exhibiting violent tendencies, to significantly expanded mental health services. Providing ample mental health resources and timely interventions can address underlying issues before they escalate into crisis situations.
The reality we face in the United States is alarming: we experience 57 times more school shootings than all other G7 countries combined. This troubling statistic isn’t just a number—it clearly illustrates our urgent need to act proactively rather than reactively.
Lessons from Columbine and Beyond
In my book, On Thin Ice: An LAPD Veteran’s Journey to Reimagine Policing, I detail critical turning points in law enforcement strategies—particularly highlighting the 1999 Columbine massacre:
“Columbine fundamentally changed the way police respond to active shooter incidents. Before that tragedy, the accepted procedure was straightforward: secure the perimeter, call in SWAT, and wait. Columbine shattered that mindset, demonstrating the urgent need for law enforcement to initiate immediate, proactive responses in order to save lives. As a result, tactical training evolved significantly—prioritizing rapid response, coordination, and decisive action under extreme stress.”
But despite these tactical improvements, we continue to face critical issues that extend far beyond crisis response strategies alone.
This latest tragedy underscores another pressing, unresolved issue: individuals experiencing serious mental health challenges still have alarmingly easy access to weapons. More than two decades after Columbine—with countless school shootings claiming 553 lives—we continue to struggle with turning these lessons into meaningful legislation and public policy. Our national hesitation to implement actionable, practical solutions reflects deeper challenges, not only within law enforcement but across our entire approach to public safety and community well-being.
While specialized tactical training is essential for managing and mitigating incidents, we must recognize that tactical preparedness alone will never overcome entrenched cultural and systemic barriers. We must address the core issues of mental health support, effective identification of individuals who pose a threat, and accountable gun legislation to foster meaningful and sustainable safety improvements.
From Crisis Response to Lasting Solutions
Long-term safety and lasting change require sustained commitment, proactive leadership, and collaboration at every level—local, state, and federal. A comprehensive approach involves developing and implementing preventive strategies that are specifically tailored to each community’s unique needs and challenges.
This is not a responsibility that falls solely on law enforcement. Educators, parents, mental health professionals, legislators, and students themselves must actively participate in creating a safe and nurturing environment. We must commit to working together, forging partnerships, and building trust that makes our schools genuinely safe.
Our children’s lives depend on our willingness to proactively identify and address threats before they manifest into tragedies. Our communities deserve better than repeated cycles of reactive measures after violence has already occurred.
Your Voice Matters
Let’s keep this critical dialogue moving forward. I’d genuinely like to hear from you:
What specific proactive strategies do you believe we must prioritize to create safer schools and stronger, healthier communities?
Together, our collective voices and actions can lead to the systemic, lasting change our children deserve.
