Susan McCallister, director of Community Targeted Violence Prevention for Auburn University, speaks to attendees at the Children’s Policy Council meeting. Photo submitted
By Christa Jennings
Senior Staff Writer
During its June meeting, agencies with the Coosa County Children’s Policy Council and others learned more about targeted violence prevention and its importance.
The CPC collaborated with the Coosa County Extension office and Auburn University to host guest speaker Susan McCallister, director of Community Targeted Violence Prevention for Auburn University.
The university, with funding provided from the department of Homeland Security, is providing training in east Alabama. The training focuses on risk factors and behavioral warning signs that indicate someone may be planning to engage in public violence.
During her talk at the meeting, McCallister helped raise awareness of a “highly violent online group” called 764 that reportedly intentionally targets youth across the country, including Alabama.
She explained that the 764 group is dangerous because they use skilled grooming tactics to recruit youth into engaging in self harm and public violence for the sake of violence and sharing it to their social media and other platforms.
Any organization or group interested in having training classes on 764 or public violence awareness and prevention are asked to contact Dr. Shannon Davis with the Coosa Extension office at 256-935-9718 for more information. Training classes are free.
