Police Foundation to review Douglas shooting response

Broward County is turning to a firm that has investigated the Pulse nightclub shooting to lead its own look into the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre.

The retired police chief of Newtown, Conn., the site of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting that killed 26, will be part of the team.

County Administrator Bertha Henry has signed a contract for up to $325,000 with the Police Foundation, a nonprofit organization, to oversee the county’s investigation into the Parkland shooting that killed 17 and wounded 17, officials said.

Henry had also considered TriData division of System Planning Corp., which handled investigations into the Columbine High and Aurora theater shootings in Colorado, and former FBI Director Louis Freeh, who has a consulting company and contacted the county after Commissioner Michael Udine mentioned him at a commission meeting.

Officials concluded “the Police Foundation was the best choice to deliver a comprehensive, fact-based and unbiased after-action report, conducted in a thorough and deliberate manner,” Assistant County Administrator Alphonso JefScott ferson said in a prepared statement. “We expect the assessment to begin later this month and take between three to six months to complete, with interim reports issued throughout the process.”

The foundation will review “all relevant information about the event, including interviews of those affected or impacted, as necessary,” the statement said. The goal is a report that will include both the strengths identified in the response and where improvements are needed “for closing any gaps in our community’s response.”

Henry said the verbal compliments she received from Orlando officials about the Police Foundation’s work there weighed heavily in her decision. The foundation did the after-action report on the police response to the Pulse shooting and is now reviewing the fire-rescue response at Orlando’s request.

Besides the Newtown police chief, the Police Foundation team looking into the Parkland shootings will include experts in the field of public safety response to critical incidents, psychology of school shooters, school safety, security and emergency preparedness.

Other agencies are also doing their own internal investigations. Gov. Rick ordered the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to look into how the Sheriff ’s Office handled the incident and the school district will have a firm look at its response.

The county is also establishing a multi-agency task force that will review all reports produced and recommendations that are made.

The 13-member task force includes Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie, Coral Springs City Manager Mike Goodrum, Parkland City Manager Bob Payton, United Way representative Maria Hernandez, American Red Cross chapter director Paula Prendergast, Henderson Behavioral Health CEO Steven Ronik, Florida Department of Children and Families representative Silvia Beebe, Salvation Army area commander Major Keath Biggers, Broward Health emergency preparedness manager Kelly Keys, Memorial Health Care representative Timothy Curtin, 2-1-1 Broward representative Sheila Smith, former County Commissioner Lois Wexler and Cypress Bay High assistant principal Jeff Nelson.