Assemblyman Dave McDonough (R,C,I-Merrick) recently hosted a forum regarding potential school violence entitled “Behavioral Indicators for Potential Violence: An Awareness Program for Educational Institutions.” In attendance were over 100 Superintendents and other education professionals. As Chairman of an Assembly Minority Task Force on Public Safety and a member of the advisory board of InfraGard, a public-private partnership with the FBI, McDonough held the event to help local school districts address the issue of violence and improve the districts’ ability to respond to it through proven, proactive prevention strategies.

“School violence is a significant issue that communities around the country, including Long Island, wrestle with on a daily basis,” said McDonough. “The ability to identify concerns and issues in advance, and potentially interrupt a pathway to violence, is a tool which educational institutions across the country are working hard to embrace and excel at. That’s why I was so pleased to assemble this tremendous panel and provide our local school districts with an opportunity to learn more about steps they can take to keep our children safe.”

The keynote presenter for the event was Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) Barbara Daly of the FBI’s New York Office. SSA Daly has extensive experience with this subject matter and works in conjunction with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) in Quantico, Virginia. The event also included a panel discussion with representatives from the FBI, the United States Secret Service, the Nassau County Police Department, Nassau County Village Police Chiefs Association and educational professionals.

“As an assemblyman, keeping our children safe from school violence is one of the most difficult and important tasks I face. Establishing an open dialog between educational institutions, parents and government representatives is crucial as this issue remains front and center in our world today,” concluded McDonough.