Latest news with #LiveSafe
Miami Herald
20-05-2025
- Miami Herald
Public schools must step up their safety plans. Georgia Tech provides a model
ATLANTA - Georgia Tech Police Chief Robert Connolly prepares for the worst thing imaginable every single day:a school shooting. In April, a student at Florida State University was charged with killing two people and injuring five others on said he immediately began reviewing the case. "We watch every event that happens in the country," he said. "Obviously, the biggest question is, what did they miss?" After mass killings, schools often install weapon-detection cameras and other tools to help physically protect the campus. But "the meat is prevention," he said. "Putting all those cameras up … that's great," Connolly said. The larger challenge is for schools to identify students who are struggling and provide them assistance. That's something the state is hoping to figure out. After September's deadly shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia legislators led by House Speaker Jon Burns met with educators, students and parents around the state to come up with a plan to prevent future tragedies. What resulted is House Bill 268, which Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law last month. The legislation requires public schools to identify, assess and mitigate potential threats made by students and to create plans to help students in need to get behavioral health support. But it stops short of implementing restrictions on firearm access as Democrats had hoped. During hearings, several parents said they supported the intention but were concerned about how such a system would operate. Georgia Tech's program could provide a blueprint for K-12 schools. Determining a credible threat Inside the command room of Georgia Tech's police department in Midtown, large screens display a snapshot of the community, with 5,000 cameras ready to zoom in on any given location. One monitor shows updates from LiveSafe, which connects to an app students have on their phone. Through the app, they can snap a photo or report a tip and in moments, a 24/7 team will review the submission. The state's new law requires schools to utilize an app or other digital platform so students and families can anonymously report dangerous and potentially harmful activity impacting students or school staff. But during debate, several parents and lawmakers worried that the platform, by nature of its anonymity, could be abused by studentsmaking false reports about each other. State Rep. Phil Olaleye, D-Atlanta, had requested to change the language in the bill from anonymous reporting to private reporting. "I do see value in transparency on who is bringing (claims) forward," he said in March. "My concern is around false reporting and not creating an incentive to falsely report claims." In those cases, Connolly said there would be some accountability for people who put others' reputation at risk for personal vendettas. But, he said, it's unlikely for a false report to make it that far in the first place because his digital intelligence team has a rigorous process to determine the credibility of threats based on national standards. For example, there are protocols to follow if a student says, "I'm going to kill my teacher if she doesn't give me an extension on this assignment," or "Finals are killing me. I'm at the end of my rope, and I can't do this anymore." According to a violence risk assessment sheet that Georgia Tech uses, there are escalating and mitigating factors that could increase or minimize the perceived risk. If the student has shared specific details about the type of weapon they would use or a plan to carry it out, that would heighten the risk. However, if the threat is the context of political speech during class or if authors are non-native English speakers who may not realize what they are saying, that would lower the risk. Flynn Nauta, a digital intelligence analyst on the team, ticked off a list of questions she would review. "Are they saying a specific classroom or a specific building, or are they just saying, I'm gonna blow up the school? Have they had any past instances where they've had indicators that they were going to do something like this, or any mental health issues?" she said. "Are they targeting a specific individual or a specific building? Are they saying, I'm going to do it at this specific time, on this specific day, or is it just kind of up in the air?" The checklist can "take down those really high emotions and bring us back to whatever the reality of the situation is, or on the opposite side of that, bring it up to the level that it needs to be on," said Megan Kopf, another analyst on the team. Getting on - and off - a list During debate on the legislation, many parents and lawmakers also worried about the long-term impacts of a child ending up on some kind of list or database. They feared it may affect their child's chances of getting into college or be used for nefarious purposes. Georgia Tech does maintain a list of individuals they are concerned about, but viewership is extremely restrictive. "They have to meet a certain threshold to make it to that point. We don't just add anyone; we're very selective about who goes into that software. And that is a collective decision," Nauta said. As part of negotiations on the legislation, parents and students will have the ability to petition for their removal from the system. At Georgia Tech,Connolly saidthere is a five-year retention period that may be shorter based on the student's conduct and behavior. He said it's necessary for public safety. "It goes back to that privacy issue. People feel entitled to expunge everything but unfortunately, how would we ever protect others if you can just erase yourself?" he said. Building trust To make this kind of a program work, the community has to trust the police department. Connolly admits that has been hard since at least 2014, when a police officer fatally shot Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, sparking debates and protests about the role of law enforcement and race. Members of the Georgia Tech's digital intelligence team said they are not sworn police officers, and their focus is not on punishment but rather getting students help. "It is mainly to figure out intervention strategies for the individual," Nauta said. "How can we best help this student? Is it contacting their parents? Is it connecting them with the mental health resources on campus? Is it bringing them in to talk to them?" Connolly said he doesn't see arresting students as a primary response to be particularly useful anyway. "You're in a compassionate world in higher education. What we're going to do is get them help to try to alleviate the problem because giving them more pressure, giving them sanctions, that's not going to help the issue. It's only going to activate the whole thing," he said. Connolly applauded the state for implementing similar systems in K-12 schools, but cautioned to give it space to work. "It's going to take time. This legislation is really just going to start something that's going to take a long time to build," he said. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Yahoo
ODU students address safety concerns at SGA meeting
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Students worried about their safety following two incidents involving guns, including a fatal double shooting at Old Dominion University, packed a student government meeting Tuesday afternoon. 2 dead in shooting at ODU; students and officials react 'Everything's a bit jarring considering two people died where I walk to class everyday,' said ODU student Garrett Rodgers. That's the harsh reality that ODU students have faced after two gun events on campus — one a shooting that claimed killed two men, neither of them students, and the other, a man seen with a firearm Sunday in the recreation center. Portsmouth man arrested in connection to gun on ODU's campus Christian Kent, 21, was later arrested and charged with brandishing a firearm. The ODU Student Government Association meeting was closed to the media, but it gave students a platform to discuss recent events. 'Just the overall safety of the school and the events themselves and we wanted more details,' Rodgers said. Students and even parents shared similar sentiments. 'I feel somewhat safe,' one student said, while another student said that 'my mom heard about it through social media, and she was concerned.' Campus law enforcement attended the meeting to answer questions, but some said it would have been nice to hear from university president Brian Hemphill, who did not come to the meeting. 'Many students are probably shocked to see that the president of ODU is not present at a meeting of this magnitude, and it's very disappointing to me,' Rodgers said. Guest passes for the recreation center have been revoked, but students want more. Some want metal detectors, but for now students are urged to use the LiveSafe app and to be vigilant. In a message to students, faculty and staff Hemphill said: Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff: In light of the difficult week for our community, thank you for your continued patience and understanding as we support each other and cooperate with the City of Norfolk Police Department's investigation regarding the recent tragic incident. As a University, we recognize our important role as a leading partner and active member of the Norfolk community. In that same spirit, we continue to extend our condolences and sympathy to the family members and loved ones of those lost. As the investigation continues, there is a growing call for both details and answers. While the concern and interest are understandable, we cannot and will not compromise or interfere with the ongoing and diligent efforts of the City of Norfolk Police Department. I am confident they will bring this investigation to a close as soon as possible and provide a direct opportunity to share details of the investigation once concluded. In the interim, I urge you to be mindful of discussion and speculation that is occurring in our broader community and on social media. Most importantly, please be reminded that there is no ongoing threat and has not been one to our campus since the all clear message was sent late Wednesday. I have heard from some individuals that the all clear message was too brief and insensitive. The reality is that our alert system has a minimal character limit, and University Police Chief Garrett Shelton provided a more detailed update with as much information as he could share in the hours following the incident. Since that time, additional messages have been shared with our students, faculty, and staff. As feedback has also been provided regarding the University's actions and response during this tragedy, I want to share some of the many factors that must be considered. For example, individuals have expressed concern that classes for Thursday were not cancelled. It is important to note that the University offered increased outreach and direct engagement to support our community. Also, if classes would have been cancelled, then a day of Spring Break would have to be removed due to the allowable number of closure days in order to meet accreditation requirements as a result of the significant winter weather that has impacted our area and campus since the beginning of the semester. Although no Old Dominion University students, faculty, or staff were injured or directly involved, this after-hours incident has significantly impacted our campus community due to the level of care and concern, as well as uneasiness and uncertainty, that it has generated. I encourage each of you to remain patient and exhibit understanding as we show respect for the families of those lost; the active and diligent work of the City of Norfolk Police Department; and the ongoing efforts of our entire campus in serving as dedicated and participating members of the community in which we learn, live, and work. This is a serious situation and one that is not taken lightly due to the critical nature and strong commitment to the safety of all Monarchs. Sincerely, Brian O. Hemphill, Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pet-friendly domestic violence, sexual assault survivor shelter coming to northwest Georgia
Northwest Georgia will soon have the first-ever pet-friendly shelter for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell spoke with the Chief Executive Officer of LiveSafe Resources about why there is such a huge need for this. Domestic violence survivors who have pets face a common barrier when they seek safety, and that is finding a safe haven for their pets. In many of these cases, their animals are in danger too. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] 'Roughly 47% of domestic violence survivors say they will not leave their situation if they can't find a place for their pets,' LiveSafe CEO Lisa Mello said. 'Almost 78% of them said because their pet has already been threatened, they've had a pet harmed or that they've been killed.' That's why LiveSafe Resources is in the process of completing a pet sanctuary. 'For those individuals, the reality is that is like their child, so they are trying to provide that protection for their pet just like they would their own human child,' Mello said. TRENDING STORIES: Metro Atlanta neighbors abandoned cars during arctic blast. When they returned, their cars were gone Woman left with 2 broken arms after she says abandoned dog attacked her in East Point neighborhood Alpharetta preschool's license revoked after 1-year-old boy choked on a piece of mango, died This will be the first pet-friendly shelter for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors in northwest Georgia. 'It's an opportunity for us to remove the barrier to those who are seeking safety away from their abuser,' Mello told Channel 2 Action News. Each unit at the sanctuary looks like a tiny home, small enough for a pet but big enough for quality time with their best friend. 'Each unit here has a TV, a heater and air conditioner,' Mello said. 'It has a small sofa that I'm sitting on right now so our clients can actually spend time with their pets when they are here.' A doggy door in each unit also leads to outdoor space for each pet. 'We are opening four units, we will be able to take four families of pets at a time,' Mello said. LiveSafe told Channel 2 Action News that 91% of survivors say their pets are also a form of emotional support and physical protection in their ability to survive and heal. LiveSafe Resources partnered with Greater Good Charities and Redrover to make this possible and they hope to open the units sometime in February. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
