You know, Defense Tech’s descriptor says “the future of military, law enforcement and national security”... and I’ve admittedly been negligent in the whole “law enforcement” part of it.
Well, no longer.
Dave is a veteran security contractor and consultant with international experience. You might remember - he’s the inventor and manufacturer of the Wor4 Tacrail.
I’ve posted his April assessment to be followed by his latest review of the Kaine report.
(Originally posted April 18 – Editor)
Time for some changes... finally?
I have spoken for years not only to corporations but to educational facilities, outreach programs, and many other places where people congregate.
What I have said so many times has come home to roost once again. The awful rampage of one man, only armed with a semi-automatic pistol, can be and was devastating. I have tried to get the message out—tried to implant a simple piece of knowledge that "everything can change in a second."
There are a few things I would like to address and, as a professional, feel it is my responsibility to do so again here and now. Any place where people congregate is, and has been, a target for a "lone active shooter" or a determined group to rain down the horror we have again witnessed. It doesn't matter if it's a local mall, school, church, etc.... These ill-intentioned people seek "clusters of people."
Some mentalities that must change:
An active shooter within a closed, confined space is only going to stop when one of several things happens:
They run out of ammunition
There are no targets within range
They take their own lives
An armed professional engages and "removes" the threat
Behavior must change—do not "hunker down." Move in any way possible away from the threat as quickly and safely as possible. The youngsters at Columbine who may have cut themselves or injured themselves getting out of a second story window made a much wiser choice than simply staying where they were.
What colleges, corporations, and other facilities cost for a person to learn, work, etc. these days demands that each large building—on a campus for instance—should have an armed professional within. If there was an armed security agent in any of these places, surely the toll taken would have been less. A trained and skilled security agent/retired law enforcement/active duty law enforcement officer who is armed has a much greater chance of ending an "active shooter's" rampage. Without question, it is my opinion that an armed professional should be located within the ranges of these places where numbers of people congregate.
"It won't happen here..."
Well, I think that point is shown to be absurdly wrong with the latest rounds of homicidal, suicidal Kamikaze-type attacks in small school houses, large campuses, and shopping malls. Usually a director of security is then forced to hire "baton only" type security. This must change. You don't bring a club to a gunfight.
When will the "higher echelon" of business, educational, and other entities finally realize that there are a lot of highly-trained men and women that would gladly accept these positions? Is the money more important than the well being of the people who visit you? Think for a moment, if you will, how many ex-law enforcement and soon to be ex-soldiers will be coming home. There will be a large pool to draw from. It would be about time to find these folks, offer them a decent living wage, and know that children, women, and brave men (a 76-year-old holocaust survivor) would not have to die needlessly.
Finally, there are a multitude of other ramifications, opportunities, techniques, and more to be had and obtained to assist in keeping people safer. In the end, there is no guarantee, but some people "up the ladder" should now, hopefully, get the message. Anytime, any place... yes, there are monsters.
We’ll post Dave’s “Part II: Assessment of the Kaine Report” later today.
"If this guy was known to TWO Dr's to have MENTAL ISSUES, why didn't the "fantastic force" have intel on that? hmmm?"
Because the doctors (and university officials) are barred from disclosing the information as a result of state and federal privacy laws. This could easily be changed to create some sensible safe harbors to protect public safety with new new additional personnel and only modest training of existing personnel through existing continuing education systems.
The American Bar Association proposed a similar reform for attorneys in the latest round of legal ethics reform proposals and those are currently being adopted by state supreme courts around the country. In Colorado, those changes take effect January 1, 2008.
Posted by: ohwilleke at September 21, 2007 01:25 PM