MONROE - The Monroe Police Department is as prepared as it can be and continues to train for unpredictable events, including shootings, Chief Fred Kelley said Wednesday at a Public Safety meeting.
"You can address 99.99 percent, but there's always going to be something," he said.
Kelley addressed local concerns about the department's and the community's preparedness in light of the school shooting Dec. 14 in Connecticut, which left 20 children and 6 adults dead. Students of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., returned to school Thursday for the first time since the incident.
Active shooting incidents have been a concern for the police department for many years, said Kelley, but not because the community is ill-prepared.
"On the contrary," he said "these incidents are ... extremely difficult to predict."
School shootings bring high outrage, because children are involved. But there have also been incidents in malls, factories, businesses, college campuses, "and the list goes on and on," he added.
Kelley said the Monroe Police Department has trained and exercised for just these types of incidents "for many years, with training being constant."
The department also works closely with the school district, which has its own plans for handling these incidents.
"We've developed plans, reviewed and redeveloped plans," Kelley said.
Last year, the department sent officers to training to look at new ideas and concepts. They also improved equipment and revised their response; updated maps and building plans of schools and other locations; and shared technology and information.
The department has already been talking to the schools and other community entities, including businesses, to improve plans since the recent shooting in Connecticut. Another meeting with the school district is scheduled for this month.
"We've stepped up our presence in and around the schools to reinforce this," Kelley added.
He told members of the committee about general response actions officers would take in differing scenarios, but he said specific details could not be released.
Officers "learn from each incident" whether in the city, the state or across the nation, Kelley said, adding that emergency preparedness goes hand-in-hand in any situation, not just tornadoes.
As the actual crime is contained by police, "other things fall in places - picking up casualties or public information - that involves other departments," Kelley said. "The fire department, emergency medical service, even public works to block streets would be called in for assistance," he said.
Deputy Fire Chief Lane Heins said emergency management will be part of the plans. "The basic templates and the formulas are in place," he said.
Heins said one thing that needs to change in the community is the mindset about putting off training for emergencies. "It takes time to train," he said.
Kelley said data sharing could be more refined, but the police relationships with the schools and community are in place.
"Small communities tend to be apathetic, thinking 'it can't happen here,'" Kelley said. "Communities react when the problem arises, but they subside when the problem is (perceived as) gone."
The unpredictability of a shooting emergency situation "comes, not from the person with a weapons permit, but some other reason, usually a mental disorder," Kelley added.
"You can address 99.99 percent, but there's always going to be something," he said.
Kelley addressed local concerns about the department's and the community's preparedness in light of the school shooting Dec. 14 in Connecticut, which left 20 children and 6 adults dead. Students of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., returned to school Thursday for the first time since the incident.
Active shooting incidents have been a concern for the police department for many years, said Kelley, but not because the community is ill-prepared.
"On the contrary," he said "these incidents are ... extremely difficult to predict."
School shootings bring high outrage, because children are involved. But there have also been incidents in malls, factories, businesses, college campuses, "and the list goes on and on," he added.
Kelley said the Monroe Police Department has trained and exercised for just these types of incidents "for many years, with training being constant."
The department also works closely with the school district, which has its own plans for handling these incidents.
"We've developed plans, reviewed and redeveloped plans," Kelley said.
Last year, the department sent officers to training to look at new ideas and concepts. They also improved equipment and revised their response; updated maps and building plans of schools and other locations; and shared technology and information.
The department has already been talking to the schools and other community entities, including businesses, to improve plans since the recent shooting in Connecticut. Another meeting with the school district is scheduled for this month.
"We've stepped up our presence in and around the schools to reinforce this," Kelley added.
He told members of the committee about general response actions officers would take in differing scenarios, but he said specific details could not be released.
Officers "learn from each incident" whether in the city, the state or across the nation, Kelley said, adding that emergency preparedness goes hand-in-hand in any situation, not just tornadoes.
As the actual crime is contained by police, "other things fall in places - picking up casualties or public information - that involves other departments," Kelley said. "The fire department, emergency medical service, even public works to block streets would be called in for assistance," he said.
Deputy Fire Chief Lane Heins said emergency management will be part of the plans. "The basic templates and the formulas are in place," he said.
Heins said one thing that needs to change in the community is the mindset about putting off training for emergencies. "It takes time to train," he said.
Kelley said data sharing could be more refined, but the police relationships with the schools and community are in place.
"Small communities tend to be apathetic, thinking 'it can't happen here,'" Kelley said. "Communities react when the problem arises, but they subside when the problem is (perceived as) gone."
The unpredictability of a shooting emergency situation "comes, not from the person with a weapons permit, but some other reason, usually a mental disorder," Kelley added.