The latest active shooter event in Uvaldi is likely to impact every police department in the in the United States. The likely outcome is that there will become a national standard for police training. Even though almost all police departments are trained in the same way. There is no true standard for for police active shooter training.
Pre Columbine Response
For those of you that have been in law enforcement for more than 20 years, you were probably trained differently in terms of how to engage an active shooter. It appears that what are being labeled as mistakes in the Uvalde shooting are individuals that relied on the training that was pre Columbine in nature. Even though Uvalde schools had an active shooter drill within the last six months, many times in a high stress situation individuals may revert to what they know best. This may or may not have been what happened in this situation. It was the best of intentions, but it was the wrong choice.
Next Steps for Active Shooter Training
Probably within the next six months, you will see some sort of new law. It will most likely focus on ensuring that all police departments in the United States have the same training. Almost all of them use the same materials at this point. Still, the training itself may be different. This is where it’s likely to impact each department. The training itself is likely to change to account for this particular incident. You may have already spent your training budget on existing training. It’s entirely likely that you may have to spend it again to address the new training.
Uvaldi Fallout
Like many incidents in policing, doing the right thing doesn’t get you on the news, but doing the wrong thing does. You can be right 1000 times. But the one time that you’re wrong, not only are you to blame but every other police department is viewed with the same set of judgement. Being a police officer can be unforgiving. The public thinks you’re either doing too much, or you’re doing too little. If it’s time for a new strategic plan, be sure to plan for the new training that is likely to be coming your way.
