New Task Force Looks To Prevent Mass Shootings In Nassau County

Officials announced on Tuesday the formation of the Nassau County-wide task force that will focus on preventing mass shootings and other acts of violence from occurring in public areas, including schools and places of worship.

This task force was announced in light of the national movements taking place, such as the National School Walkout and March For Our Lives, that look to implement stricter safety measures to put a stop to future acts of violence.

Officials believe the Nassau County School & Community Safety Task Force will prevent mass shootings in schools, churches and other public spaces.

“We cannot allow the frequency of mass shootings in America to leave us complacent,” Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas said in a press release. “These horrific acts of violence could happen here, and we must take every possible preventative step to ensure that educators, parents, mental health professionals, and religious leaders share information regarding possible threats so that law enforcement can diligently investigate them."

The task force recently held its inaugural meeting and featured remarks from high school students and school leaders. Members of the FBI, Nassau County Police Department, Nassau County District Attorney’s Office and a privacy law expert all gave presentations.

The task force has five main goals:

• Explore the protocols in place at Nassau schools and colleges to share information regarding potential threats with law enforcement;
• Assess the training and support needs of educators, religious leaders and private security officials at public buildings, including malls, to reduce the threat of a mass casualty event;
• Develop recommendations and guidance to ensure that timely disclosures regarding individuals who may be a danger to themselves or others are quickly made to the appropriate authorities;
• Prepare a training curriculum for educators and mental health practitioners regarding the health and safety exceptions to FERPA and HIPPA;
• Issue a public report detailing the task force’s findings and recommendations.

The task force will also engage religious community leaders to address concerns regarding church safety. Reports of anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim bias crime on Long Island have been rising since 2016 according to the DA's Hate Crimes Unit.

“To be effective in protecting our schools and our children, we must stop working in silos and instead work together at all levels of government," County Executive Laura Curran said. "Communication and education are critical to establishing an effective plan to preventing and responding to any threat at one of our schools.”

The task force is comprised of members from various organizations, including The LGBT Network, New York State Police, Mental Health Association of Nassau Co., Northwell Health, FBI, Homeland Security, Islamic Center of Long Island and Antioch Baptist Church.

“This new initiative by the district attorney will bring together numerous professionals from different backgrounds to enhance all around safety," Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said. "As a group we need to eliminate barriers to information sharing as it is ever so important to be able to prevent this violence."

Residents are invited to submit questions, concerns or comments on the task force's website.

Photo: Nassau County District Attorney's Office