September 30, 2009

 

GANG ACTIVITY IMPACTING SCHOOLS NATIONWIDE

Gangs involved in three of six school-associated deaths in the past month, expert says

 

"Gang activity escalates much faster than one-on-one violence and has a greater likelihood of involving weapons, which means school officials are often on the reactive end of school gang violence," according to Kenneth S. Trump, a national expert on school security and emergency preparedness who

 

Trump, who is president of National School Safety and Security Services, said gangs are adversely impacting schools nationwide.   His national tracking of school violence incidents shows three of six school-associated violent deaths, along with several non-fatal school-related shootings and high-profile violence incidents, in the past month have involved gangs.

 

See details on school violence incidents since the start of this school year in August at: http://www.schoolsecurity.org/trends/school_violence09-10.html

 

"Schools must work closely with police, social services and the broader community to quickly acknowledge a gang presence and, to communicate and work together more effectively than the gangs themselves," Trump said. 

 

Tips for schools to recognize and manage gang activities are provided by Trump at http://www.schoolsecurity.org/trends/gangs.html

 

Trump created and supervised one of the nation's first youth gang units in a school district's security department from 1990 to 1993 in Cleveland.  The unit was nationally recognized for reducing school gang crimes 39% over three years.  He subsequently served as an assistant director of a federal-funded project dealing with emerging gangs in three southwest Cleveland suburbs.

 

Trump is a four-time invited Congressional expert witness on school safety, security and emergency preparedness issues.  He has authored two books and over 60 professional articles on K-12 school security and emergency preparedness issues.  Trump has appeared on all cable and network news  channels, and is quoted regularly as a school safety expert in national daily newspapers and professional publications.

 

EXPERT BACKGROUND AND CONTACT INFO:
Kenneth S. Trump, MPA
President
National School Safety and Security Services
Cleveland, Ohio
216-251-3067
For full biographical see
www.schoolsecurity.org/school-safety-experts/trump.html

 

Kenneth S. Trump, M.P.A., is the President of National School Safety and Security Services, a Cleveland-based national firm specializing in school security and emergency preparedness training and consulting. Ken served as a school safety officer, investigator, and youth gang unit supervisor for the Cleveland City Schools' safety division, and as a suburban Cleveland school security director and assistant gang task force director.He has authored two books and over 60 articles on school security and crisis issues. As one of the leading U.S. school safety experts, Ken has 25 years experience in the school safety profession and has worked with school and public safety officials from all 50 states. He is one of the most widely quoted school safety experts, appearing on all national news networks and cable TV and in top market newspapers. Ken is a four-time invited Congressional witness testifying on school safety and emergency preparedness issues.  For more background, see www.schoolsecurity.org/school-safety-experts/trump.html