Dallas – As the nation is stunned by another tragedy in our nation's schools and grieves for the loss of innocent lives, two questions immediately come to mind: Why did this happen and what can be done to stop this from happening again?
While we may never know for sure why this particular tragedy occurred, there are answers to the general crisis. Morgan Reynolds, director of the Criminal Justice Center for the National Center for Policy Analysis and an expert in the area of juvenile crime, is available to discuss the growing trends in juvenile crime and what we as a civil society can do to turn this tide.
"America needs to wake up and realize that this is a real problem that can happen in any and every community," says Dr. Reynolds, director of the NCPA's Criminal Justice Center. "Parents, lacking the moral confidence to discipline their children, are raising a generation of Americans that do not fully comprehend the boundaries we all must observe."
What can and must be done to fight this growing phenomenon? According to Dr. Reynolds: "School systems, administrators and local authorities must take steps to increase the day-to-day security of their schools, and they must be held accountable if they fail to do so. Whether that increased security comes in the form of armed security at each and every entrance or in the form of metal detectors, having armed security in some form would eliminate 90 percent of the probability of these crimes taking place."
WHO:
Dr. Morgan Reynolds
Director of the NCPA's Criminal Justice Center
Click here for Dr. Reynold's BioWHAT:
Available for interviews regarding the tragedy in LittletonWHEN:
Available upon request.CONTACT:
Sean Tuffnell, TX 972-386-6272
Joan Kirby, DC 202-220-3082
Dr. Reynolds has published more than 50 articles in academic journals and has authored five books including Crime by Choice (1985). His most recent NCPA works include Does Punishment Deter Crime, Factories Behind Bars, Crime and Punishment in America: 1998 Update and Using the Private Sector to Deter Crime. His opinion pieces and ideas have been published in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Times, The Washington Post, The New York Times, National Journal, Investor's Business Daily, Houston Chronicle, Dallas Morning News and other papers across the country. He has also appeared on the NBC Nightly News, FOX News Channel and C-Span.