A month after the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting, Northbrook resident Susan Troester Kline teamed up with Northbrook resident Johannah Hebl to form the Northbrook Anti-Violence Initiative in an effort to ensure the safety of our community.

“We are trying to start a discussion with the village board, school boards, [Parent Teacher Organizations] and citizens about gun ownership, gun registration, safety, mental health and security of students,” Hebl said.

As part of the Northbrook Anti-Violence Initiative, Hebl created a four-point plan for both the Village of Northbrook and the school districts in Northbrook.

For the village, Hebl said she would like to see registration of all guns, mandatory training for those who own guns, a limit on the amount of ammunition a household can have at a time and ban on the ownership of assault weapons in Northbrook.

Hebl said in terms of gun laws, there are not any laws in place that mandate gun registration in Northbrook. She also said that Northbrook residents must be 18 years old to purchase a rifle, and 21 years old to purchase a handgun.

Hebl’s four-point plan for the schools includes an increase in anti-bullying messages and announcements, making parents more vigilant about noticing the potential violent behaviors of their children, acquiring additional staff at the schools that would specialize in the mental health of the students and a visit from the FBI to review safety policies and procedures in the different districts.

Senior Andrew Farwell said he  received a gun from his uncle as a present because his uncle knew it interested him.

Farwell agreed with Hebl’s plan to enforce a strict gun registration processes. According to Farwell, the first step in preventing gun violence would be to enforce stricter regulations on gun registration.

“When I got [my Firearm Owner Identification Card] it was an extremely easy process to go through,” said Farwell. “You just had to check a few boxes and send it in. I think it should be much harder, the background check should be a lot more thorough.”

In Farwell’s opinion, limiting the amount of ammunition a household can possess would be a good idea in theory but hard to accomplish because it “would take a lot of time and a lot of manpower.”

Village trustee Robert Israel said that he is not sure mandating gun registration will be effective in preventing gun violence. Due to the small size of Northbrook, Israel said that changing the policies in our village will not necessarily prevent potential gun violence if the surrounding villages are not enforcing stricter gun control policies as well.

In order to remain safe as a community, Israel suggested a more holistic approach. Including more background checks for potential gun owners and stricter regulations on the sales of guns would only be part of the “tool kit” to a more holistic approach.

“[Currently] the Village is making all efforts with the police department, with the schools and the school boards, and local agencies to maintain a safe environment,” said Israel. “We’re always concerned about safety so we always act for the best and safest community that we can achieve, and that’s what we’re seeking to continue.”

Hebl is focusing not only on actions regarding the village, but also the school districts within Northbrook. Hebl said that a community such as Northbrook that excels in education should also excel in prioritizing the mental health of its citizens and in pushing anti-bullying sentiments.

“I would like to see … some sort of messaging out to students about kindness and anti-bullying and, you know, looking out for each other so that at least that message is in the ether somewhere, that you might think twice before you say something negative about a school mate or something,” Hebl said.

Upon hearing of the GBN Compliments Facebook page, Hebl said, “I think that should be encouraged.”

According to Farwell, placing attention on actions only involving schools would not be the best approach to prevent gun violence.

“Obviously here at GBN we have an armed policeman all the time, and that’s great, but what really needs to happen is the process of getting a gun needs to be much harder, and the type of gun you can get needs to be much weaker so that it’s safe for everywhere, not just at schools but at any public place,” Farwell said.

Regarding the Northbrook Anti-Violence Initiative as a whole, Israel said, “It’s always better to have these conversations and these discussions and make people aware of potential problems, and from there we can make a more educated decision.”

Hebl believes that thinking globally but acting locally is the key to a change in policies.

“We, here in this community, are afforded the ability to write our own legislation, and we can certainly do something local,” Hebl said.

Along with being proactive in our own community, “we need to recognize that we’re part of a larger community in the United States, which could use some better rules and regulations,” Israel said.

According to Hebl, high school students already have to focus on school with academic, artistic and athletic pressure. “You shouldn’t have to be worried about your safety. You just shouldn’t.”