Here's an op-ed written by IFPO Board member and retired college professor Chris Hertig on the New Zealand Christchurch massacre:
While it’s far too early to know the key details of the New Zealand mosque massacre, there are a few observations that can be made. More importantly; there are questions to be addressed. And learning which can help keep people safe.
Wolves target the Sheep. Madmen with weapons go after people where there are no protectors. No “capable guardians” if we apply Routine Activity Theory. They hit soft targets. Targets without Sheepdogs to fight off the Wolves. This has major policy implications, whatever our views are on arming people in houses of worship, schools, etc.
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Categorizing the attack as a Lone Wolf event may not be accurate. Not any more accurate than classifying Timothy McVeigh as such: he had Nichols to help him and may have had financial support from others. Apparently in the New Zealand massacre there have been 4 people apprehended. Their involvement needs to be fully dissected.
System failures need to be explored. In US cases, there are almost always breakdowns in intelligence management. The dots don’t get connected. The dots don’t get acted upon. What is intriguing is if this is primarily a US issue. In school violence we almost invariably find that to be the case. The development and upkeep of an intelligence system simply doesn’t happen. With tragic results.
Gun management comes into the discussion. This was brought up by the New Zealand Prime Minister who vowed that gun laws would change. What changes can be made that will effectively prevent or mitigate future mass shootings remains to be seen.
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The US experience has been a clearly politicized one in which “gun control’ forces have sought bans on extended capacity magazines, bump stocks which have only been used In one instance that I’m aware of and hollow point bullets (New Jersey). These measures have minimal, if any, impact on mass shootings. High capacity magazines make shooting more bullets easier, but perhaps not appreciably. One can bump fire a weapon without a bump stock. Hollow points are carried for personal protection. Period.
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