**Media Advisory is for scheduling purposes only**

Embargoed until July 29, 2024

Please join us for a media roundtable on Monday (7/29) at 3:30pm at the Seaside Convention Center in Seaside, OR to discuss threat assessment in schools and communities throughout Oregon.

The FBI, Oregon Safety Resource Officers Association and Portland Police Bureau will be joined by Max Schachter, a national school safety advocate, whose son was killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018. 

The panel will answer questions regarding threat assessments in schools and the community and will discuss the importance of partnerships of both school personnel, law enforcement and the public.

PANELISTS:

FBI Portland Assistant Special Agent in Charge Stephanie Shark, Moderator

FBI Portland Supervisory Special Agent Laura Monti, FBI Threat Assessment Group

OSROA 

Max Schachter, Safe Schools for Alex

Sgt. Hythum Ismail, Portland Police Bureau, Special Resources Division

WHEN:

Monday, July 29 at 3:30PM

WHERE:

Seaside Civic & Convention Center

415 First Avenue, Seaside, OR 97138

WHY:

Research has found that mass shooters don’t just snap.

They spend time thinking about violence and they plan, prepare, and often share indicators before their attacks. This means there are opportunities to identify someone who is on a pathway to violence - and prevent their attack.

Studies have also proven that before most mass attacks, someone observed concerning behaviors that were signs the person was on a path to violence. The people who noticed were often friends, family, schoolmates, coworkers, or loved ones.

YOU may be in a unique position to observe these signs in someone you know. Educating yourself on what to look for can be the key to preventing an attack of mass violence in your community.

The FBI released a new awareness campaign earlier this month to identify common concerning behaviors early on: Prevent Mass Violence — FBI

Please RSVP to: media.portland@fbi.gov

More information about OSROA and the Oregon School Safety Conference 

Seaside, Oregon – July 29th, 2024 – As the new school year fast approaches, the Oregon School Resource Officers Association is providing school districts and educators across the state a 3-day training, providing information to enhance school safety across Oregon. The 20th Annual Oregon School Safety Conference is being held Sunday, July 28th through Wednesday, July 31st, 2024, at the Seaside Convention Center in Seaside, Oregon. 

The Oregon School Resource Officers Association, also known as OSROA, is committed to promoting current best school safety practices for school educators and School Resource Officers. With increased safety concerns and risk related behaviors impacting our students and staff the past couple of school years, it is crucial that we approach school safety collaboratively in order to best address the physical, mental and emotional needs of our students.

OSROA in partnership with school safety contributors, will be providing school safety education through conference presenters like Max Schachter, whose son was killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, FBI Portland Supervisory Special Agent Laura Monti, Courtney McCarthy, a Threat Assessment and Behavioral Specialist and Dr. Bernie James, a Law Professor at Pepperdine University speaking on the legal impacts to both schools and law enforcement. These are just a few of the many other presenters at the school safety conference.

OSROA would like to extend an invitation to our media partners in Oregon to come and see the collaborative efforts by both law enforcement and school educators to be the best they can be together for the safety and security of our children in our schools across the great State of Oregon.  OSROA will be hosting a panel discussion to discuss Threat Assessments in Schools and the importance of partnerships of both school personnel and law enforcement. This will be an opportunity to see the real work behind the scenes on how schools in Oregon are diligently working to keep our children safe. 

Message from [Rick Puente, OSROA Vice President]:

"We are excited to welcome students back to school and are dedicated to ensuring their safety," said Rick Puente, Vice President of the Oregon School Resource Officers Association. "By working and training together, we can be certain our approach, our best practices and our outcomes will be beneficial for all students and staff, thus creating a more safe and secure educational environment where our children can learn and thrive."

About Oregon School Resource Officers Association:

We exist to support law enforcement agencies and school districts in the State of Oregon, and to provide resources and training to help maintain a safer, healthier school environment for students, faculty and guests. We are committed to growing strong relationships between schools and local law enforcement with an emphasis on keeping the safety and best interest of our students our number one priority.

You can learn more about OSROA at its website: www.osroa.net