Northgate started this year with an important lesson: highlighting needs for gun safety and preventing violence.
Leaders from the city and police department of Walnut Creek, from the Mt. Diablo Unified School District and Northgate hosted a Campus and Gun Safety Event in the Little Theater Aug. 27. About 40 students and parents attended the event, which included Principal Kelly Cooper, Superintendent Dr. Adam Clark, Walnut Creek Mayor Loella Haskew, Walnut Creek Police Department Chief Jamie Knox, and Social Work Specialist Merrit Rollins as speakers.
Walnut Creek Police share insights
To begin the night it was noted that gun violence continues to rise, and in the last 20 years the number of school shootings have quadrupled. Chief Knox provided information about safety protocols that the Walnut Creek police force works with. He emphasized that social media use is a key way to spot school threats, providing realistic and eye-opening examples of actions or behaviors that could come off as threatening or dangerous.
Knox emphasized that in most cases of school shootings or threats, there was someone ahead of time that was aware of what was happening. This shows how key it is to stay aware and be able to detect when something can be dangerous, he added. As students with many connections through social media, threats like these can be visible when they come up, and it is our responsibility to notice them and act on them. He explained that violence in schools has gone down in recent years, but school shootings have increased nevertheless.
National statistics on school violence
Separate research shows that national statistics for school shootings vary depending on how many levels of schools are counted. The National Center for Education Statistics shows that there were 1,188 school shootings between 2000 and 2022. According to the Sandy Hook Promise, an anti-gun violence group that formed after a 20-year-old gunman killed 26 in 2012, including 20 children, in a Newtown, Connecticut elementary school in 2012, “There were more school shootings in 2022 – 46 – than in any year since Columbine. This mirrored America’s broader rise in gun violence as it emerged from the pandemic. However, U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security research shows that if we “know the signs” of gun violence, we can prevent it and reverse the trend.”
“A Little Oasis”
Principal Kelly Cooper also made it clear that a priority at Northgate is to allow students to have an adult that they can talk to at school. Cooper and Rollins emphasized Northgate’s Wellness which Cooper described it as “a little oasis” for students. Through advancements in mental health support through in-school resources, there are many opportunities for students to feel secure.
Rollins, the social work specialist who works at Northgate as a counselor and Wellness Center administrator, discussed the increased focus on school connectedness, as priorities of counseling and other resources have proven helpful among students. According to Rollins, mental health is a large factor for possible violence at schools, as many students face “an epidemic of loneliness.”
Cooper also highlighted student-directed programs have also been extremely successful in creating connections such as Link Crew, Academic Mentors, and Safe School Ambassadors who have been able to assist other students effectively. With areas like the Wellness Center, students are able to decompress and let go of stress during the school day.
“Say something”
Several speakers emphasized the importance of providing avenues for people to speak out about concerns. Dr. Adam Clark, the superintendent of the MDUSD, strongly emphasized in-school safety and he reviewed several measures that the district has taken in order to make schools a safer place for students. The “Say Something” Anonymous Reporting System has been in use and proven effective, as students can submit anonymous reports about something that they may have heard or seen, he explained.
This goal is one that is echoed nationally, and the Sandy Hook Promise – which started the “Say Something” awareness program – promotes the importance of people acting on early warnings. According to the group, “Almost all mass school shooters shared threatening or concerning messages or images. More than 75% raised concern from others prior to the attacks. Bystanders saw warning signs in most documented active shooter cases.”
To wrap up the night the panel answered questions from the audience. Many parents were concerned as to how administrators would communicate with faculty in case of an emergency and Cooper explained how family contact is maintained in Parent Square and would be contacted through email, phone, or text in an emergency situation.
A question which resonated within the room, causing a notable stir in activity was, “How is the Walnut Creek Police Department different from Uvalde police?” The question referenced the May 2022 attack in Uvalde, Texas by an 18-year-old gunman who killed 19 elementary children and two teachers. The response came under scrutiny after members of multiple law enforcement agencies waited more than an hour to enter the school classroom the shooter had entered, where the students were present – and ultimately killed.
Chief Jamie Knox responded: “What is unique to our team, Walnut Creek Police Department has an active shooter team,” and he explained some of the department’s process.
Overall, the panel thoroughly explained safety issues including school efforts to promote physical and emotional student well being including student connections and involvement, the cause of many school shootings, and what would happen in an emergency situation.
