Crime Prevention Month of October: John Matthews & Your ESCAPE Plan
Today's show is the second in a series with the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) during "Crime Prevention Month" which takes place the whole month of October. Today, Michelle Boykins, Senior Director of Communication from NCPC co-hosts with Dr. J on The Social Network Show.
The theme for the first week of Crime Prevention Month is "Get Alerts, Stay Alive: Emergency Preparedness" and the guest for today is from the Community Safety Institute, a partner of NCPC.
Today's guest, John Matthews, is the Executive Director of the Community Safety Institute and Assistant Chief Deputy Constable in Dallas. John shares his thoughts on a topic that has been in the news lately regarding the deadly force on citizens by police officers and talks about the needed communication between law enforcement and the communities where they are located. In response to the question about his thoughts on mass shootings, John gives us 6 steps to survival in a mass shooting:
ESCAPE Model:
Exit--get out of the situation
Seek cover
Concealment
Assess your situation
5. Present a small target
6. Engage the shooter
John has interesting comments about the use of drones by law enforcement and the use of other technology, including social media that is so useful in fighting crime.
The public can take classes on these topics and to learn more about this education, visit NCPC or CSI learning portals.
John Matthews is the Executive Director of the Community Safety Institute (CSI) and an Assistant Chief Deputy Constable for the Dallas County Constable’s Office precinct #1. Chief Matthews has developed over 100 law enforcement and public safety initiatives for government agencies including the Department of Justice (DOJ); Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA); the Office of Community Policing Services (COPS); Department of Homeland Security (DHS); Office of Domestic Programs (ODP); Depart of the Interior (DOI); Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services (OJS) and the Department of Transportation (DOT).
Matthews has been in law enforcement for nearly thirty years and is a Master Police Officer and certified law enforcement instructor. With Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Administrative Management and an Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate, Matthews is nationally recognized for his work in law enforcement and school safety issues. While working with the Dallas Police Department he was named Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer and was awarded a Certificate of Commendation from the Texas State Senate. He also received numerous departmental awards including: Certificate of Merit, Life Saving Award, Certificate for Civic Achievement and the Police Commendation. John currently serves as a Senior Advisor to the National Sheriffs’ Association and Special Advisor to the National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial Fund.
John is an award-winning writer, photographer and author of five books including The Eyeball Killer, a true crime Book of the Month and first- hand account of his capture of Dallas’ only serial killer. His books School Safety 101 and Neighborhood Watch 101 focus on making our communities safer and more secure and have been the cornerstones of training programs for thousands of law enforcement officers, educators and their community stakeholders. He has been honored as a keynote speaker at education and law enforcement conferences around the country.
John hosted a popular safety segment on FOX-4 television, and for three years was a talk show host on KRLD/CBS radio and the Texas State Network, where he still makes appearances as a guest. Media appearances include; NBC Nightly News, FOX News Channel, Leeza, The O’Reilly Report, Good Morning New York, Good Morning Texas, Law Enforcement Television Network, A Current Affair, Good Day Dallas, and scores of local ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC television and radio affiliates. John’s serial killer story has been adapted for numerous network television shows and John served as co-writer and host of the pilot television show RANGERS.
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