The Duncan Banner

Local News

February 18, 2013

School violence expert brings 2-day event to Duncan

Grossman’s conference open, free to public

Megan Bristow The Duncan Banner

DUNCAN — The Stephens County District Attorney’s Office is bringing in Lt. Col. Dave Grosmann (ret.) for a two-day conference on the causes of violent crime especially in children.

The event “Lessons from Jonesboro, Littleton and Vietnam: How Kids are Learning to Kill and Learning to Like It” will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday at New Hope Baptist Church, 200 S. 42nd Street in Duncan.

“I am very excited about hosting Lt. Col. Grossman,” District Attorney Jason Hicks said.

“I believe the information he will provide to our community will be invaluable and will assist us in formulating a plan of action in the event we have to deal with a tragic event such as a mass shooting in our community.”

“Obviously, we pray that we do not have to deal with such a situation,” he said. “However, we must be prepared and seek to ensure that a situation such as Sandy Hook does not happen in our community.”

Hicks said the conference will include information and planning tools to effectively manage, investigate and prosecute an individual or group if such a tragedy were to occur.

Grossman has worked with professionals and law enforcement in the wake of the school shootings in Jonesboro, Ark.; Paducah, Ky.; Springfield, Ore. and Littleton, Colo.

The event is being sponsored by the District Attorney’s Office; Leach, Sullivan, Sullivan and Watkins; Fraternal Order of Police; Duncan Public Schools; Duncan Regional Hospital; Kell Pro, Inc.; New Hope Baptist Church; Bank of Commerce; First Bank and Trust; BancFirst; Arvest,; City of Duncan; Legacy Bank and Rick Braught.

Duncan Police Department Patrol Captain Brian Attaway has attended two other conferences by Grossman and has been assisting in making arrangements for Grossman’s conference in Duncan. He said that all Duncan Police Department officers have been encouraged to attend and they were expecting visitors from Lawton, Fort Sill, Norman and as far away as Tulsa for the event.

The event is free and open to the public. New Hope Baptist Church will be providing a free lunch for the first 520 people.

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