Palm Beach County Association of Chiefs of Police hosts forum on community violence

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Members of the Palm Beach County Association of Chiefs of Police are hosting a forum on community violence Tuesday morning.

Local law enforcement leaders, prosecutors and members of the community will be in attendance. It's being held at the South University Campus located at the corner of Belvedere Road and 441.

The forum was prompted by the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary. That shooting set off a national debate on gun control. Although President Barack Obama is trying to tighten the nation's grip on gun control to end violent shootings like the one in Newtown, Connecticut, local leaders say it may take too long for national changes to trickle down to the local level.

State Attorney Dave Aronberg says the forum will address numerous issues, including the mental health aspect of gun control.

He says, "There’s always a red flag in advance. There’s always an indicator or someone that could’ve just said something and could’ve prevented this. It’s extremely rare for the telltale signs to go unnoticed."

He adds the forum is a chance to "prepare communities for the new realities." Aronberg says, "Instead of fighting with fists, the disenchanted youth in communities seem to fight with firearms and that’s something that we need to avoid before it occurs. It’s much easier to avoid a tragedy than deal with the aftermath."

The forum begins at 8:30 a.m.