Spring Break
Chief Inspector of Northern Ireland speaks about human rights, job of police
Teresa Sheffield
Issue date: 3/10/08 Section: News
This agreement illustrated 175 recommendations that would help bring about peace.
These recommendations are used all over the world as a model to other police departments.
With the help of the recommendations, Northern Ireland has lowered its crime rate immensely, diversified its cops and the police force has been unarmed since 1992.
O'Toole took questions after she finished her speech, and was asked what she thought of the recent college shootings.
"I think it's a frightening thing … the random acts of violence. … And I think we really need to come together as communities and figure out strategies, prevention strategies and as a last resort, response strategies," O'Toole said.
She used her work in the private sector as a security manager preventing work-related shootings as an example in her own life.
"In every instance there were clear signals, there were signs in advance that people either that people wanted to avoid or ignore or just didn't feel like getting involved, and unfortunately in some of the tragedies we've seen happen in recent years on college campuses and elsewhere, all of the signs were there," O'Toole said. "I think we really need a collaborative approach to that. The police alone will not resolve that problem, college administrators will not solve that problem alone, it has to be a collaborative approach. And you know, it has to really focus on prevention and intervention, and helping people who are crying out for help, who have all the tell-tale signs."
tsheffield@unews.com
These recommendations are used all over the world as a model to other police departments.
With the help of the recommendations, Northern Ireland has lowered its crime rate immensely, diversified its cops and the police force has been unarmed since 1992.
O'Toole took questions after she finished her speech, and was asked what she thought of the recent college shootings.
"I think it's a frightening thing … the random acts of violence. … And I think we really need to come together as communities and figure out strategies, prevention strategies and as a last resort, response strategies," O'Toole said.
She used her work in the private sector as a security manager preventing work-related shootings as an example in her own life.
"In every instance there were clear signals, there were signs in advance that people either that people wanted to avoid or ignore or just didn't feel like getting involved, and unfortunately in some of the tragedies we've seen happen in recent years on college campuses and elsewhere, all of the signs were there," O'Toole said. "I think we really need a collaborative approach to that. The police alone will not resolve that problem, college administrators will not solve that problem alone, it has to be a collaborative approach. And you know, it has to really focus on prevention and intervention, and helping people who are crying out for help, who have all the tell-tale signs."
tsheffield@unews.com
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