Every day, the news carries another story about violence entering ordinary people’s lives. Reports also show a divide between police and the community, concern for violent uprisings in response to that division, questions about the role played by drugs and mental health in that violence and queries of the part terrorism and terrorists play in violence – all countered by a desire by the public and government officials on how to resolve it.
To aid in understanding and countering these violent outbreaks and to help all become a part of the solution, Anne Arundel Community College has assembled experts who will focus on “Predicting, Preventing and Responding to Violence” in the second annual daylong conference on Crime, Violence and Mental Illness on June 2, on the Arnold campus, 101 College Parkway.
“There is a need to understand, as more agree that we will never effectively counter that which we do not fully understand,” said Tyrone Powers, director of the Homeland Security and Criminal Justice Institute at AACC, one of the sponsors of the conference.
Criminal justice and homeland security professionals, along with mental health practitioners, are working to thwart the onset and impact of violence. This conference will explore predicting factors that lead to early detection of violent offenders, offer best practices in reducing violent crimes and provide intervention strategies from law enforcement, corrections, judiciary and homeland security agents.
Giving keynote addresses will be Michael Blow, retired deputy chief of police from Prince George’s County, and Baltimore City Police Commissioner Kevin Davis.
Partners in sponsoring the conference are the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and AACC’s School of Health Sciences. The $95 cost includes two keynote speeches, all sessions, continental breakfast, lunch and afternoon reception.
For more information or to register, visit: http://www.aacc.edu/conferences/mentalillness.cfm.