There is no question that the Clackamas Town Center shootings set Sheriff Craig Roberts' agenda for the following year.
First, Roberts was invited to a White House conference hosted by former U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, along with teachers from Sandy Hook Elementary School and Virginia Tech to discuss how to improve responses to mass shootings.
Then, Roberts brought in Daniel Flannery, director of the Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education at Case Western Reserve University, to lead a seminar at Camp Withycombe on how to prevent school violence.
Roberts and Undersheriff Matt Ellington then presented a safety-training video they made for the International Council of Shopping Centers at the National Retail Federation conference in San Diego and in Clark County, Wash.
Roberts also formed a countywide task force to address preventive safety measures and crisis-response plans for Clackamas County schools. The task force includes representatives from public-safety agencies, as well as school superintendents. The task force's recommendations go directly to Clackamas Educational Service District, which distributes them to the schools.
But Roberts wasn't done. He met with Heidi Moawad, public safety advisor to Gov. John Kitzhaber, along with Gregory Fowler, former FBI special agent in charge for Oregon and a representative of the Oregon Association Chiefs of Police. Together they spoke to the Joint House and Senate Judiciary Committee in support of creating a statewide task force on how to standardize school safety protocols.
"We also need to bring in the fire service at some point," Roberts said. "It was very helpful that all the emergency responders had the floor plans for Clackamas Town Center. We need to do that for every school and house of worship."
Roberts said the one-year anniversary of the town center shootings is no doubt painful for the victims' families.
"We want them to know they are in our hearts and that their losses will not be forgotten," Roberts said. "We will do everything we can to prevent that from happening again."
Copyright 2013 - The Oregonian, Portland, Ore.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
