So Much for "Police Protection"

When I got to the school here in PA where the seven little Amish girls were killed, first thing out of my car, I unholstered my .45 and waited for the Trooper in charge to give me a signal of what he wanted me to do. He motioned for me to move up to the schoolhouse and get under a window. (By then, I had also grabbed my shotgun.) Then, he motioned for me and another Trooper to carefully take a peak in the window. I really could not see much and especially not the shooter.

When the Sgt. arrived, he tried talking to the shooter (Charles Roberts) using his car’s speaker, but Roberts kept yelling back that he wanted us to leave. Shortly after the exchange of words, the shooting began and we were ordered to rush the door and get inside. Just that quick, he had shot and killed the 7 little girls and himself. I know that it didn’t take a full minute for us to get inside. I was the second man through the door and at that moment, I saw the worse day of my life appear before me.

After all of the clamor was over, I was still very upset. The doctor at the scene gave a couple of us Troopers a shot of something to help us relax, but it really didn’t help much. For days, I kept asking myself what else could we have done to prevent that what had happened. I just couldn’t help thinking that there had to be something else that we could have done.

It was like having a really bad nightmare that never ends.
 

911, I imagine it to be like war scenes. I have no doubt many of our homeless veterans could never cope with life after seeing what they saw , what all combatants and police officers have seen, like what you saw.

I had an uncle who was in WW2 toward the end, the Nazi's were sending in terrified boys, children really. Many years later he would sit on the porch and cry sometimes....said they would shout at the kids, "go back, go back, kinder" but they kept coming and were killed.

I don't think all police or all military personnel can really process what they have to see and do.
 
Don M. said:
"Political Correctness" has replaced Common Sense
Click to expand...

Don all I can say is "AMEN" to your comment about political correctness and common sense.

I have written two blog postings about the school shootings and have a third ready to publish tomorrow
you might find them interesting and along the same lines as what you were thinking. As far as the school
security officer... I found out when I was in the Army in 64 that not everyone is equipped to run towards the fire...


https://kl1hbalaska.wordpress.com/2018/02/23/the-florida-school-shooting-closing-pandoras-box/
 
Too 911...

First, thank you for all your service, past & future.

Second, I have never been an officer, nor received any such training. As such I am not qualified to judge. I @ 68 yrs am however able to assess folks in general. It is my true belief that we all will react differently in varying situations . I have no idea what went through that officer's / those officer's minds, at that precise moment . I choose to believe that he/they , in the noise / confusion / enormity of the situation. Tried their best to assess the situation the best that they could. And perhaps just failed to do their absolute best at the precise second.

It is very easy for those of us that have no experience doing that job to sit back and say well they should'a/could'a...And I believe that it is perhaps perplexing for those of you in the profession to wonder why things were done or not done as they were

I guarantee you that the next time there is an officer involved shooting, where the officer reacts quickly & kills a 'teen' / young person ? The first cries we will hear will be, he should'a paused, he didn't have to kill him, etc .

{MY} bottom line is simply that I blame the shooter, and no one else.
 
Pete said:
Don all I can say is "AMEN" to your comment about political correctness and common sense.

https://kl1hbalaska.wordpress.com/2018/02/23/the-florida-school-shooting-closing-pandoras-box/
Click to expand...

As "Pete" says, in this blog, it is going to take multiple different approaches to resolve these mass shootings...there is NO one solution. Mental health reporting and treatment has gone to pot in recent decades. The mentally ill Used to be sent to mental health hospitals...Insane asylums, if you will....and treated for weeks or months until they were deemed fit to return to society. Now, all they get is a meeting with some psychiatrist who probably does little more than put them on some Mind Altering drug. No one wants to "stigmatize" these people by labeling them as mentally ill...that would Violate their Rights. Yet, everyone of these recent lunatics has had a long history of mental issues. Then, to boot...since no one wants to "label" these misfits, they are not even entered into the federal database that would prohibit their purchase/ownership of firearms. It's a wonder we don't have more of these tragedies occurring.

On top of that, with all the bad publicity the police have received in recent years, it's no wonder that many of them are afraid to act quickly, for fear they will be Smeared all over the media if they make a mistake. Things like this Black Lives Matter movement have probably forced many police to Second Guess any moves they might make when faced with a potentially deadly situation.

More and more, I am glad we live in the boondocks...the cities are becoming a real mess.
 
I worked for 30 yrs in a 'behind the scenes job' directly involved with the police. Over the years most-all of my friends were officers..now retired. To a man...they all say the same thing.
 
Warrigal said:
Then best not to let him get one in the first place.
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If not a gun, then some other weapon, or an object turned into a weapon (ala the twin towers).
So we have to stop the person - either from the sort of childhood that fosters such an act, or stop the parents from procreating.
 
That's true and the latest trend is to drive a van at speed down a crowded pedestrian mall or footpath. However since that has happened a couple of times the authorities have thought out ways to limit such opportunities using bollards and strategically parked vehicles to protect crowds anticipated at known events such as NYE or festivals.

That's the easy bit but how do you protect against a lone marksman high up in a building overlooking an outdoor concert?
It is also hard to protect against suicide bombers. However guns, ammunition and bomb making materials can be strictly regulated and police can follow up suspicious stockpiling of such items. That is, if the population is willing to let them.
 
The hardening of soft targets is a never ending game of cat and mouse. When an attack takes place and measures are put in place to stop that, then they will come up with something else.

Other than living our lives out in fortified camps I doubt if the cycle will ever stop.

Situational awareness is one of your greatest safety tools.

You need to be constantly aware of your surroundings. Identify areas that will provide safety/cover or an exit, whether that's a concert, a movie or shopping at a mall. That goes for driving as well. Always have an exit and don't be afraid of jumping a curb to take it. Don't place yourself in situations that will leave you vulnerable.

If you do "carry" something for protection then make sure that you are competent with that tool and that you practice with it on an ongoing basis and be well aware of your limitations.

Trust your instincts. If something doesn't "feel" right, and makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up or makes your adrenalin start pumping, then get out of there. Instincts have saved countless numbers of lives and they certainly have saved me.

Rehearse in your mind, what would I do if. Having no plan is not a plan.

Travel in pairs if you can. Two sets of eyes and ears are better than one, as long as the other person is on the same page.

Anyways, just a couple of hints. Preparedness is not paranoia especially given the World in which we live in today.
 
I would think the most important factor is staying away from crowds. It only makes sense that someone who wants to make the maximum impact is going to attack a crowd.
 
Maximum body count is always a goal of any kind of terror. Crowds are a favourite and you can avoid some of those but sometimes that is difficult, like shopping at Christmas or enjoying the things you like to do like going to theatres or a meal out.

Terror is meant to shock & awe and stop people from enjoying their freedoms. This is not how we should live, although I'm sure some people do this now. Situational awareness is a tool you can use so that you can still enjoy those things that you like to do or want to do with a degree of confidence.

Just little things can help. For example my Children and wife were notorious for being out and about wearing those ear buds and listening to music, or driving with the music cranked up.

Get rid of the ear buds, stop staring at the phone. Turn down the music and leave your car window down a hair. You'd be surprised at how much sound is muffled with the windows shut right and the music turned up even a little bit.

If I go somewhere new, like a store or even a coffee shop, I'll take a minute to look around and find the exits. Washrooms are the last place to flee to as you are trapped. For the most part there are no exit points in washrooms and your only exit is back the way you came from, which might not be an option at which point you are trapped. Kitchens in restaurants can have more than one exit point so know where the employee door is for the kitchen.

If I go to a restaurant I try not to sit at the very front or the very back. I choose somewhere in the middle if possible because it affords me the greatest number of options to exit. I also avoid, if I can, sitting near those big plate glass windows for obvious reasons.

After awhile this stuff just becomes second nature.
 
James said:
The hardening of soft targets is a never ending game of cat and mouse. When an attack takes place and measures are put in place to stop that, then they will come up with something else.

Other than living our lives out in fortified camps I doubt if the cycle will ever stop.

Situational awareness is one of your greatest safety tools.

You need to be constantly aware of your surroundings. Identify areas that will provide safety/cover or an exit, whether that's a concert, a movie or shopping at a mall. That goes for driving as well. Always have an exit and don't be afraid of jumping a curb to take it. Don't place yourself in situations that will leave you vulnerable.

If you do "carry" something for protection then make sure that you are competent with that tool and that you practice with it on an ongoing basis and be well aware of your limitations.

Trust your instincts. If something doesn't "feel" right, and makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up or makes your adrenalin start pumping, then get out of there. Instincts have saved countless numbers of lives and they certainly have saved me.

Rehearse in your mind, what would I do if. Having no plan is not a plan.

Travel in pairs if you can. Two sets of eyes and ears are better than one, as long as the other person is on the same page.

Anyways, just a couple of hints. Preparedness is not paranoia especially given the World in which we live in today.
Click to expand...
As an aside, this reminds me of what I found when I looked into what it took to "coyote proof" my yard after I lost a small pet (maybe or maybe not to coyotes). You needed 2 foot of concrete underneath the fence. Oh and the fence had to be incredible to guarantee coyotes could not vault, jump, or climb over it. It seemed like I would have to build something that made me think I would be living in a prison of sorts to keep them out. They are clever, wily, and talented.
 
James said:
Maximum body count is always a goal of any kind of terror. Crowds are a favourite and you can avoid some of those but sometimes that is difficult, like shopping at Christmas or enjoying the things you like to do like going to theatres or a meal out.

Terror is meant to shock & awe and stop people from enjoying their freedoms. This is not how we should live, although I'm sure some people do this now. Situational awareness is a tool you can use so that you can still enjoy those things that you like to do or want to do with a degree of confidence.

Just little things can help. For example my Children and wife were notorious for being out and about wearing those ear buds and listening to music, or driving with the music cranked up.

Get rid of the ear buds, stop staring at the phone. Turn down the music and leave your car window down a hair. You'd be surprised at how much sound is muffled with the windows shut right and the music turned up even a little bit.

If I go somewhere new, like a store or even a coffee shop, I'll take a minute to look around and find the exits. Washrooms are the last place to flee to as you are trapped. For the most part there are no exit points in washrooms and your only exit is back the way you came from, which might not be an option at which point you are trapped. Kitchens in restaurants can have more than one exit point so know where the employee door is for the kitchen.

If I go to a restaurant I try not to sit at the very front or the very back. I choose somewhere in the middle if possible because it affords me the greatest number of options to exit. I also avoid, if I can, sitting near those big plate glass windows for obvious reasons.

After awhile this stuff just becomes second nature.
Click to expand...

OMG, I can't live that way. Shoot me already.
 
That's the world in which we live. Make no mistake you probably have better odds winning the Powerball than getting gunned down, but taking the time of being aware of your surroundings and not making yourself vulnerable {as much as you can} to being the victim of any crime, be it this, a mugging, carjacking, theft, etc should always be a part of your routine.

For example, I reside in a rural area where break ins abound and the police response or proactive patrols can be haphazard. Not putting them down that's just the way it is with the resources they have. I keep my bushes cut down so they don't block the view of windows or entry points from the road. We have a double garage and two cars...ones a paperweight, so I make sure one is in the driveway and I'll move it around so it doesn't look like a yard ornament.

Interior lights on variable timers so it doesn't look like they're on timers. Locks, I have good door locks but you want to stop them before they get to your door.

Yard lights that are dusk to dawn, not a fan of motion lights. Know your neighbors or at least one. Neighbor down the road watches my place and I watch him. He knows my routine and I know his so its obvious if something is out of whack and needs some attention.

Like I've said there's lots of small things you can do to lessen your chances of being a victim of crime before it happens.
 
Good tips in your last two posts James.

I always conceal carry when I leave home and I'm very aware of my surroundings when I'm out.

I always sit facing the door when dinning out and I make a mental note of where the exits are. I like to sit close to a exit but I don't want one directly behind me because of the remote possibility that a past employee may still have a key and barge in set on doing harm.

I also always sit at a table and never in a booth when out because I feel it takes a few extra seconds to worm out of a booth quickly if a situation arises......I'm also very watchful in crowded parking lots coming to and from my vehicle.

When at home or out I try to do everything in my power to keep from being referred to as the "Deceased Victim" on the 5 o'clock evening news.
 
rgp said:
You'll adapt...you'll have too......
Click to expand...

Okay, I'm not a fool. I keep my doors locked all the time. I don't park in isolated areas in the parking lot. I wear an across-the body purse (even though that could be dangerous), I stay aware of my surroundings, a lot of things like that. But if I have to start telling a hostess that no I can't sit at a certain table because I'm more apt to get killed in a mass shooting there, I give up!
 
Not just a mass shooting. I don't know how many times this year I've seen seniors driving their cars through the windows or doors of restaurants. Around here it seems to be open season on restaurants by seniors.
 

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