Metal detectors are frequently proposed as a method for enhancing school safety, and the demand for their installation often surges in the aftermath of a school shooting incident. This pattern was observed after the mass shooting in September 2024 at Apalachee High School in Georgia. The Atlanta-Journal Constitution published an article on November 16, 2024, to discuss the growing calls for metal detectors. The article, titled “Calls for metal detectors grow after school shooting. Experts say they’re not the solution,” summarizes the debate on the effectiveness of metal detectors. Anthony Petrosino, JPRC Director, was quoted in the article. His comments are based on a prior brief by the JPRC on metal detectors, published in 2019.
News
JPRC teammates win WestEd staff awards
Each year, WestEd announces employee awards in several categories. Two of our teammates, Sarah Russo and Anthony Petrosino, each won an award.
Sarah Russo, Ed Myers Award for Exceptional Contribution to the WestEd Community
The Ed Myers Award, named for the late Chief Administrative Officer at WestEd, celebrates recipients who make positive and sustainable impacts to WestEd’s culture and/or the way it works. Sarah, a research associate on the JPRC team, won this award for, among other things, exemplifying the ethos of building and sustaining a positive culture within WestEd through her unwavering commitment to fostering collaboration, nurturing genuine relationships, and promoting a reflective mindset.
Anthony Petrosino, Glen Harvey Award for Uplifting and Empowering Colleagues
This award, named for WestEd’s former CEO (who retired in 2023 after 26 years), honors those who support their teammates through impactful mentoring, thought partnership, and inquiry. Anthony, JPRC Director, was given this award to recognize how he systematically uses his position in the field to uplift junior researchers and support their growth.
JPRC team meets with the PA Lt. Governor and violence prevention leaders
The JPRC’s violence prevention team visited Harrisburg, PA, on March 19th, 2024. The purpose of the meeting was to brief the Lt. Governor, Austin David, and convene leaders from five projects across Pennsylvania that have received multi-million dollar investments from the state through their “Coordinated Community Violence Intervention” (CCVI) grant.
Attending the meeting were (from left to right):
- Alexis Pugh, Impact Services
- Lori Toscano, JPRC (in front)
- Father Paul Abernathy and Quinten Boose, Neighborhood Resilience Project
- Jamie Noerpel, LogosWorks
- Lt Governor Austin Davis
- Cyrise Dixon, CASA Youth Advocates
- Shaun Ali, JPRC
- Betty Mulugeta, Philadelphia Department of Public Health
- Kerwin Henderson, JPRC
WestEd Podcast on Preventing Gun Violence in the United States
Gun violence impacts families, first responders, and communities in profound and lasting ways. In 2023, more than 18,000 persons died by homicide in the United States. And on June 26th, 2024, the U.S. Surgeon General declared gun violence a public health crisis.
In this episode of WestEd’s Leading Voices podcast, host Danny Torres talks with violence prevention experts from the JPRC and developers of the Violence Prevention Navigation Framework (VPNF): Lori Toscano, Shaun Ali, and Kerwin Henderson. Together, they help state and local leaders better understand the factors that contribute to or prevent violence within their communities—helping promote safe and equitable futures for all children, youth, and adults.
Their conversation covers the following topics:
- Identifying the underlying factors that give rise to or mitigate gun violence
- Leveraging big and local data to prioritize, assess, and develop appropriate strategies to reduce and prevent gun violence
- Working with community and state leaders to improve violence prevention efforts across systems
- Promoting equity and fostering growth
Jennifer Loeffler-Cobia featured on the PHI Podcast
Dr. Jennifer Loeffler-Cobia, the JPRC’s Justice and Public Health Policy and Practice Director, was featured in a three-part series by the Public Health Insight (PHI) Podcast. PHI is a public health organization committed to modernizing evidence-informed public health communication, education, and knowledge translation. The PHI Podcast is a weekly podcast ranked in the top 5% of all podcasts globally.
In this PHI Podcast series, Jennifer first talks about her pathway to a career working to reform the justice system and help communities address substance misuse. She follows that by discussing the history of opioids in the United States, and focuses on the different waves of epidemics the nation has faced. The final episode highlights why a systems-oriented approach holds promise for addressing the opioid epidemic.
Part 1: Substance Use, Criminal Justice, & Public Health Advocacy On Capitol Hill
New JPRC Teammate: Josh Carmouche
We are excited to welcome Josh Carmouche to the WestEd JPRC team.
Josh is a School Safety Technical Assistance Specialist. He brings specialized experience in emergency management, physical security, and behavioral threat assessment strategies for the K-12 and junior college audiences.
You can learn more about Josh and all JPRC staff at the Who We Are page.