Police officer: Make plans for dealing with active shooters
The Texarkana, Ark., Police Department kicked off its first Luncheon with the Law program Tuesday, with information on how civilians can respond to an active-shooter situation.
Because of recent events, TAPD has had an overwhelming number of community members request active-shooter response as the first topic, said Officer Kristi Bennett, TAPD spokeswoman.
The luncheons are designed for any citizen or business owner to come together with law enforcement to learn about topics selected by community members.
Officer Rick Cockrell spoke at Tuesday’s lunch. Cockrell investigates threats for TAPD.
Cockrell said there have been active-shooter situations within a couple of hours of Texarkana.
“It’s not a matter of if something happens here, it’s when,” he said. “We want to give you information that will benefit you. It’s horrible that it’s a conversation we have to have, but it’s an important one.”
Cockrell said school shootings make up about 25 percent of active-shooter scenarios. Many of them happen in the workplace, and managers should have a plan.
It is the responsibility of the human resource department to:
Conduct effective employee screening and background checks.
Create a system for reporting signs of potentially violent behavior.
Make counseling available to employees.
Develop a plan which includes policies and procedures for dealing with an active-shooter situation, as well as an action plan for the aftermath.
Cockrell said an active shooter in the workplace may be a current or former employee. He said managers and coworkers should alert the human resources department if they believe an employee or coworker exhibits potentially violent behavior.
Lunch for the event was provided by Texarkana Independent School District.
Those attending were able to suggest topics for the next luncheon.