A 16-member commission on Tuesday will begin reviewing the Feb. 14 mass shooting at a Broward County high school, looking into the circumstances of the crime, the background of the alleged shooter and recommendations to prevent future tragedies.
The Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, which was created as part of a sweeping school-safety law (SB 7026) signed by Gov. Rick Scott last month, will hold its initial meeting at the Broward College campus in Coconut Creek.
Andrew Pollack, a member of the commission whose 18-year-old daughter Meadow Jade was one of the 17 students and staff killed at the high school in Parkland, said he wants to see a thorough review of the record of Nikolas Cruz, the former student who has been charged with the mass killing.
Pollack also said the commission should hold officials “accountable for their incompetence” that may have led to the tragedy.
“My daughter was murdered. So there is no bringing her back,” Pollack said in an interview with The News Service of Florida Monday. “But if I can feel some satisfaction that it won’t happen in another school….if we can use this and make it a preventative measure, it would make me feel like my daughter’s death wasn’t in vain.”
The law directs the commission, which will be headed by Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, to “investigate system failures” in the Broward shooting and prior mass shootings in Florida and to “develop recommendations for the system improvements.”
The commission will develop a timeline of the Stoneman Douglas shooting and the incident response “and all relevant events preceding the incident, with particular attention to all perpetrator contacts with local, state and national government agencies and entities and any contract providers of such agencies and entities.”
Cruz had a lengthy history of mental health problems, documented by dozens of interactions with educators, law enforcement, mental-health professionals and others. The FBI had received at least two alerts warning that Cruz posed a danger.
Pollack said he believes Cruz’s prior contact with law enforcement and school officials should have led to consequences or charges prior to the shooting.
“I really want to look into this kid’s record. And I think we’re going to find a lot of incompetency and a lot of covering up of records in this whole process,” Pollack said.
The commission, which is under the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, has the ability to subpoena records and witnesses.
“That’s all going to come out. No one is going to be able to hide from us,” Pollack said.
Other items on the commission’s agenda are a review of Florida’s policies for dealing with “active assailants” on school campuses, with a comparison to “best practices” policies around the nation.
The commission will also review the use of school resource officers on the campuses, with the goal of making a recommendation on the appropriate ratio of law enforcement officers to the student population and school facility.
After their regular meeting, the commission is scheduled to visit the Stoneman Douglas campus late Tuesday afternoon, although members will not be allowed inside the classroom building where the shootings occurred because it is still an active crime scene.
The commission, which is authorized to meet through 2023, will file its initial report and recommendations to Gov. Scott and the Legislature by Jan. 1.
A tentative schedule that will be reviewed by the commission on Tuesday includes the recommendation that its staff report key investigative findings and witness statements to the panel by June 1.
Commission members were appointed by Scott, House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’Lakes, and Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart.
The commission includes three parents of Stoneman Douglas victims; seven members with law enforcement ties, including FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen; three serving in school systems; a prosecutor; a mental health expert; and Sen. Lauren Book, D-Plantation.
–Lloyd Dunkelberger, News Service of Florida
Ryan says
Just shows that mental health treatment doesn’t work for evil.
Chris A Pickett says
So you have to spend a bunch of money to figure out what happened? I can save your funds. !. Parkland schools failed to secure their building allowing NON-student to enter-This occurs at FPC nearly weekly-people who have no official business on school grounds(FORMER STUDENTS OVER 20 years of age parents!), I NOW THIS FOR FACT! 2.The local Sheriffs dept failed BIG TIME. 3. And the Federal authorities failed/ There no money need to be spent accept the FACTS, a lot of people dropped the ball.
smarterthanmost says
Broward County Sheriffs and the FBI should be at the top of the list for those at fault.
Pogo says
@Don’t forget to give credit to crooked ricky and the rest of the NRA’s Republicans
who have been running the freak show for twenty years.
“…Sept. 28, 2016 – Another student informs Peterson that Cruz may have ingested gasoline a week earlier and is cutting himself. That student, who is a “peer counselor,” says Cruz indicated he wished to purchase a gun for hunting. The school says it will conduct a “threat assessment” on Cruz. The incident is reported to the Florida Department of Children & Families (DCF), which sends investigators to his home. “Mr. Cruz stated he plans to go out and buy a gun. It is unknown what he is buying the gun for,” investigators wrote, noting that he also “had a Nazi symbol drawn on his book bag.” DCF determines he is receiving adequate support from his school and outpatient care from Henderson Behavioral Health in Broward County. A team from Henderson found Cruz “stable enough not to be hospitalized.”…”
Nikolas Cruz: A timeline of the warning signs ahead of Stoneman Douglas shooting
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/parkland/florida-school-shooting/fl-florida-school-shooting-nikolas-cruz-warning-signs-20180216-story.html
Linze says
Only takes one kid to figure out what happened
hawkeye says
at least they are trying to find out what really went wrong rather than condemning and /or blaming gun owners and the NRA
Outsider says
Pogo, I am an (recently renewed) NRA member and Republican. I have two daughters in school. Explain to me, exactly, how and why I would want to help this animal and his ilk kill innocent children. Please be rational and specific.
Daniel Floyd says
The school shooting happened for 2 reasons.
1) The Obama administration wanted to end the school to prison scenario because so many minoruities were ending up in prison at a young age. They ordered that people like Cruz (Hispanic surname) not get arrested. The Sheriff adopted the program and received federal funds. The laws were not enforced and Cruz was not arrested although he committed several crimes.
2) The democrats are so worried about the stigma associated with mental illness that no one was allowed to know that Cruz was mentally ill. Had this been known, he would not have been allowed to purchase a weapon. Political correctness is literally killing people.
Pogo says
@Outsider
Outsider said, “…I am an (recently renewed) NRA member and Republican…”
Both can be corrected. You just have to want to.
Outsider said, “…Explain to me, exactly, how and why I would want to help this animal and his ilk kill innocent children…”
How? You said it, “I am an (recently renewed) NRA member and Republican.” Why? No good reason I’ve ever heard.
Finally, since you said nothing about my actual post – I repeat:
@Don’t forget to give credit to crooked ricky and the rest of the NRA’s Republicans
who have been running the freak show for twenty years.
“…Sept. 28, 2016 – Another student informs Peterson that Cruz may have ingested gasoline a week earlier and is cutting himself. That student, who is a “peer counselor,” says Cruz indicated he wished to purchase a gun for hunting. The school says it will conduct a “threat assessment” on Cruz. The incident is reported to the Florida Department of Children & Families (DCF), which sends investigators to his home. “Mr. Cruz stated he plans to go out and buy a gun. It is unknown what he is buying the gun for,” investigators wrote, noting that he also “had a Nazi symbol drawn on his book bag.” DCF determines he is receiving adequate support from his school and outpatient care from Henderson Behavioral Health in Broward County. A team from Henderson found Cruz “stable enough not to be hospitalized.”…”
Nikolas Cruz: A timeline of the warning signs ahead of Stoneman Douglas shooting
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/parkland/florida-school-shooting/fl-florida-school-shooting-nikolas-cruz-warning-signs-20180216-story.html