Olds RCMP, local school divisions, the town, the justice department, Alberta Health Services and others are working on a formal protocol outlining how to deal with potential violence in the community.
Chinook's Edge School Division associate superintendent of student services Wanda Christensen is taking the lead on creating the official protocol.
She says a group of agencies like those above has been working to prevent violence for more than 10 years via a memo of understanding.
However, now they're looking at expanding the effort to include Olds College as well as Red Deer public and Catholic school divisions and possibly Red Deer College. Community Corrections Services will also be included.
"Now we've moved into what we call more of a community violence risk assessment protocol," she says.
Christensen anticipates the formal document regarding the violence risk assessment protocol will be ready for signing in February.
Cpl. Shawn Morgan mentioned the protocol during a speech to the Olds & District Chamber of Commerce.
"(It) is essentially a proactive measure in worrisome behaviour that might be displayed by youth or a co-worker or some such thing," Morgan said during the chamber event.
"We've seen in the last while in the United States some of the tragedies that have happened there with Vegas and at various schools and most recently in that house of worship (in Texas)."
Morgan said the protocol would lay out how all those involved would deal with a person exhibiting "worrisome behaviour."
"What type of person would do it? Or if they've done it, why have they done it, and what were the events leading up to it and how can we mitigate this in the future," Morgan said in a later interview.
"How do we manage that type of person in the school so that we're not jumping to conclusions or going too far, but at the same time, we're addressing the issue without making it a bigger issue than it actually is."
He said those involved would "come together and share information legally and engage in a conversation to assess what threat that person may present ñ if any at all ñ and intervene in a proactive measure to help them through it."
"We'll never know what would prevent it, but essentially, it's building that capacity in the community to address something before it does get to that point where someone's active," Morgan told chamber of commerce officials.
Similarly, RCMP, Olds Rural Crime Watch, and victim's services are working together to bring representatives of Safer Schools Together in B.C. here in March.
That group also assesses threats of violence and works to prevent bullying in schools and communities in Canada.
Morgan said their efforts here would include making presentations to students and eventually parents on navigating and participating in social media safely.
"It's building that capacity in the community to address something before it does get to that point where someone's active."CPL. SHAWN MORGANOLDS RCMP
