New edition of the handbook. Why is statistics important?

 

Dear readers and colleagues, I am pleased to inform you that the fourth, supplemented edition of the Handbook of Crimes and Terrorist Acts in Schools and Other Educational Institutions has been completed, albeit with a slight delay (originally planned for April 11). The file has already been posted on the website and is available for download. The new edition corrects some errors and inaccuracies in previous editions and adds new information sent to me by colleagues from the Republic of Kazakhstan.

When I first started doing research on the security of schools and other educational institutions, the first problem I encountered was the lack of statistical data on crimes of this category collected and systematized in one source. I had to spend a great deal of time and effort to collect information from dozens of different sources and recheck it, because the completeness, reliability and objectivity of the published information often raised reasonable doubts. It became clear that there was a need for a unified information and reference resource containing information on crimes of this category and at least a brief (minimum) set of factual data on their details and circumstances. Without this information, it is simply impossible to see an objective picture of what is happening and assess the real scale of this threat, as well as to conduct a qualitative analysis of data, comparative, cross-checking, to assess the development of events in dynamics. Without the results of such analysis it is extremely difficult to explain the criminological processes taking place, and most importantly, to identify and identify the factors that affect them, which in turn makes it very difficult to predict the likely development of events.

When there is no understanding of the vector and features of threat development, it is impossible to develop effective countermeasures. This can be clearly seen now, when after another mass murder or terrorist attack in an educational institution, various experts, political scientists, law enforcement officials, educators and journalists, discussing the tragedy, ask the question: «Why did the measures developed and implemented as part of the security strategy to prevent and suppress threats not work?». The answer is simple: they were developed on the basis of incomplete data, and in many cases the data was not only incomplete, but also unreliable.

I often come across statistics in media publications that are very far from reality. For example, when commenting on another mass murder at a school or university, the author supports the article with figures of general statistics of incidents at educational institutions, despite the fact that most of these incidents are neither mass murders nor terrorism. For the most part, these are crimes of general criminal orientation, committed on the basis of personal animosity between specific people, or related to material motives (robbery, robbery, extortion), committed with hooligan motives or even unintentionally.

Therefore, it is crucial not only to know the statistical numbers, but also to understand the meaning behind them. Proper sorting of data is equally important. All collected cases should be cross-analyzed, comparing information from different sources, with preference given to police press releases, reports and court records because these contain more facts than speculation. All collected incidents should be divided into groups and subgroups according to various criminological characteristics. Such a division will make it possible to clearly see the nature of the development of the situation in a certain time period, both in comparison and in dynamics.

On the basis of qualitatively collected and systematized statistical data, it is possible to create fairly accurate criminological models and forecasts, and most importantly, thanks to these models and forecasts, it is possible to develop truly effective measures for preventing and combating these threats. This is the main goal and primary objective of applied criminology: to understand the nature of the threat, assess the prospects for its development, identify vulnerabilities, develop a strategy to counter the threat and eliminate it. This requires reliable raw data, validated and systematized, collected in a single source.

In the fall of 2023, I set about creating it. As a form of data presentation, I chose a format similar to a police incident report, in the form of a summary of the circumstances of the event containing such information as: date, time, place, manner, subject, object, subject, victims, consequences, outcome, and other reliably established facts.

In February 2024, the first edition was published on the website of the Public Order and Safety Project, which included statistical data for 24 years (from 2000 to 2023 inclusive). Then I received a lot of feedback, recommendations, additions and edits from colleagues around the world, already 2 months later, in April 2024, the second edition was published, which contained more than 100 additions and edits. During 2024, taking into account the requests from readers and colleagues, the information was updated and supplemented, the third edition, published in January 2025, contained updated information for 25 years. Today, the fourth edition has been published, which contains additional information and edits. As new data becomes available, work will begin on the fifth edition, which I plan to publish by the end of 2025. I would welcome any help in working on the new edition, and you can find out how to do this in the final part of the guide, in the section «Prospects for new editions».

My goal is to make a useful, reliable, informative, user-friendly and, most importantly, publicly available reference and analytical tool for researchers and specialists in ensuring the safety of schools and other educational institutions from threats of various types and nature.

Once again, I would like to thank all those who assisted me in collecting new information, clarifying and correcting previously published data, creating and editing sections, and other work on the handbook.

With respect.

Author and Editor-in-Chief of the project - Roman Grishin.

#SafetySchools #CrimeCrimesInSchools #EducationTerrorism #CrimeStatistics #SecurityAnalytics #SafetyGuide #EducationSafety #EducationSafety #MassMurder #SchoolTerrorism #Criminology #ChildSafety #EducationSchools #CrimeResearch #PublicPolice #ResearchAnalytics

Join the project «Public Order and Safety»

 

Terrorism, mass murder, Internet fraud, theft, robbery, riots, rape, hooliganism, personal injury, street gangs, arms sales, drug trafficking and other crimes against the person, life, health and property. All this has become an integral part of everyday life. The dynamics of the development of the criminogenic situation around the world does not give grounds for optimistic forecasts for the near future.

The instinct of self-preservation is a basic instinct of a human being, therefore the most expensive and demanded commodity in the 21st century will be security, and investments in ensuring the safety of a person, life, health and property will be the most promising investment.

Crime and terrorism are changing, they are developing and progressing with modern realities. The law enforcement system is far behind them, lagging behind by several generations, it cannot effectively counter them. 

Modern threats require appropriate responses. There is a need for deep modernization of police and other law enforcement services and units, both state and international. We need new ways and methods of prevention, suppression and investigation of crimes, as well as terrorist acts, an effective system of analyzing and forecasting existing and future threats, the use of science and modern technologies in ensuring public security.

All these are the main goals and objectives of the international project «Public Order and Safety». We are an international, non-profit community of creative people engaged in applied research in the field of criminology, combating crime and terrorism. We not only study current and prospective threats, we offer concrete, practical solutions for their prevention and suppression.

Anyone can become a participant of the project, regardless of gender, age, country of residence, presence or absence of: specialized education, scientific or public merits, awards, work experience in the law enforcement system, membership in other scientific or professional organizations or communities.

We welcome everyone who shares our goals and values and is willing to join us. Together we will make the world a safer place!

https://www.orderandsafety.org/

 

#crime #terrorism #security #safety #criminology #police #project #public

Ensuring public order and safety during the pandemic

This section will post articles, research, reviews and other materials of the project participants devoted to the topic – «Issues of organizing the activities of police units and other law enforcement agencies during the pandemic (of global and local nature) of dangerous viral infections and in cases (under threats) of terrorist acts with the use of bacteriological weapons».

Prospective direction for publications:

The global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021 has brought major changes to the police services of most countries around the world. An epidemiological threat of this magnitude, the world has not faced in the last 100 years. However, despite the fact that at present, thanks to the measures taken, the virus spread has been stopped, in the opinion of the medical research community, this is only a temporary respite, and humanity will face dangerous virus pandemics many times in the coming years. In addition, a number of international security experts have expressed opinions and forecasts that it is bioterrorism that will become one of the most active forms of committing terrorist acts in the very near future.

Even a superficial analysis of the situation during the pandemic COVID-19 in 2020-2021 showed that the law enforcement agencies of most countries were totally unprepared to perform tasks of maintaining public order and security under such conditions. Therefore, at present, quite relevant and of real, practical interest to specialists at various levels, are studies devoted to the organization of effective police services in conditions of bacteriological hazards of various levels and origins:

- performance of daily tasks to ensure public order and safety during the pandemic of dangerous viral infections;

- actions of law enforcement officers to control the observance of quarantine and other regimes associated with restrictions, both in individual cities and towns, as well as in large metropolitan areas and individual regions;

- tactics and principles of actions of police units during the elimination of consequences or the threat of terrorist acts with the use of bacteriological weapons.

It is important to remember that when working on materials on these issues, authors should not make assessments and judgments about the causes of these phenomena. There are a huge number of theories and hypotheses about the causes of the emergence and spread of dangerous viral infections, from scientific to conspiracy theories. Each version has its supporters, which are very negative to those who adhere to a different point of view.  Any discussion of the causes of the epidemics, can cause the division of the audience into groups, supporters of one or another version, as well as on political or religious grounds. This contradicts the informational concept of the project and its main goal - to be a community of professionals.

Therefore, let the causes be discussed by subject matter experts: doctors, scientists, officials of special services, etc. The purpose of our project is to review the situation from professional point of view as specialists in law enforcement, public order and security, anti-terrorism and extremism.

You can send your articles, reviews, essays and other materials to be placed in this section of the site by any convenient way to the editorial office of the project. Requirements for the content and design of publications, the order of their placement and recommendations for copyright protection can be found in the section Contacts.

Regards.

Project Editorial Board.

#safety #pandemic #threat #police #terrorism #bioterrorism #security #covid19

Thematic Section - Countering Crime and Terrorism on the Street and in Other Public Places

this section will contain articles, researches, reviews and other materials of the project participants devoted to the topic – «Issues of providing safety of citizens from crimes and terrorist acts, on the streets and other public places».

A promising direction for publications:

At present the researches devoted to the tactics and strategy of police services and departments as well as other law enforcement bodies in counteraction to street crime as well as to such phenomenon as «Street terror» which has been recently getting more and more active are actual and are of real practical interest for specialists of different levels.

Another no less demanded area of research is the development of effective system of counteraction to property crimes and extremists in cases of mass riots. Ensuring protection of life, health and property of citizens, state, commercial, public, political, religious and other organizations from actions of criminals and marauders.  

The above-mentioned threats, at present, continue to be relevant for most countries in the world, and therefore require both the modernization of existing and the development of fundamentally new solutions, tactics and other effective countermeasures. 

It is important to remember that when working on materials on these issues, the authors should not make assessments and express judgments about the causes of these phenomena. Social, political, religious or other motives that served as the basis for acts of terrorism or mass disorder should not be considered. A list of them, statistics, dependence or influence can be given, but without value judgments.

This restriction is set by the information concept of the project. This is done for the following reasons: when one makes value judgments about the nature of social political, religious or other social phenomena, it is virtually impossible to do so without bias. Accordingly, that such reasoning, the participants will correlate with certain political platforms, and this will cause an extremely negative, by its consequences, phenomenon - the division of the project audience into groups, according to political preferences. If this happens, the project will cease to meet its main goal - to be a community of professionals.

Therefore, let such assessments and judgments be made by specialized specialists: political scientists, sociologists, journalists, etc. The objective of our project is to review the situation from professional point of view as experts in law enforcement, public order and security, combating terrorism and extremism.

You can send your articles, reviews, essays and other materials to be placed in this section of the site by any convenient way to the editorial office of the project. Requirements for the content and design of publications, the order of their placement and recommendations for copyright protection can be found in the section Contacts.

 

Regards.

Project Editorial Board.

#crime #terrorism #antiterror #safety #street #counteraction #police #security

Cooperation with other communities and projects

Project «Public order and Safety» was initially created in order to create an open, international, professional, electronic discussion platform for law enforcement specialists, police officers, journalists, criminologists, students and those who are simply interested in the issues of forecasting, prevention and counteraction to crime and terrorism. 

Taking into account our openness and international orientation we are ready to cooperate with similar, close in thematic orientation communities, projects, public organizations, professional clubs, associations and other unions from different countries in different spheres of activity. Such as: organization of joint projects and programs, establishment of international relations, participation in conferences, meetings, seminars, assistance in distribution of information about publications, authors, planned and conducted events, etc.

In accordance with the concept of our project, we do not cooperate with or support (in any form) organizations and communities engaged in activities such as:

- political;

- commercial (if this is the main objective of the organization);

- religious;

- aimed at supporting or justifying terrorism and/or extremism;

- aimed at supporting or justifying hatred or intolerance towards individuals or social groups based on national, religious, political, racial, territorial, professional or other affiliations;

- aimed at supporting or justifying crimes, their perpetrators, or crime as a social phenomenon.

Cooperation with organizations engaged in the protection of labor, professional and social rights of employees of police services and units (trade unions), as well as state law enforcement agencies* is carried out in a limited form, mainly in terms of mutual information support and exchange.

 * their competence, according to the documents governing their activities, is limited to combating criminal activity and terrorism within the territory of the state to which they belong.

 For questions of cooperation, you can contact the editor of the site, any way convenient for you: personal messages, social networks, e-mail.

Regards.

Project Editorial Board.

#safety #police #criminology #international #cooperation #security #order