America’s Active Shooter Crisis Demands Visionary Leadership
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Violence is a reality of American life. Companies, schools,
campuses, houses of worship, communities, and public gatherings throughout the
nation are potential targets.
Visionary leadership is critical from law enforcement,
private security professionals, government officials, property managers, and
all responsible for safeguarding individuals entrusted to their care.
There must always be shared responsibility with all members
of the community. Every person privileged to call America home must also be
vigilant, and always aware of their surroundings.
Active Shooter
Definition
As defined by the Department of Homeland Security: “An
Active Shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to
kill people in a confined and populated area; in most cases, active shooters
use firearms(s) and there is no pattern or method to their selection of
victims. Active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly.
Typically, the immediate deployment of law enforcement is required to stop the
shooting and mitigate harm to victims. Because active shooter situations are
often over within 10 to 15 minutes, before law enforcement arrives on the
scene, individuals must be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with
an active shooter situation.”
Alarming
Statistics: U.S. Mass Shooter Tragedies / Gun Violence: Jan 1 – June 14, 2022
• 267 Mass Shooting Incidents
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•
14 Mass Murder Incidents
•
163 Children Killed: Younger
than 11 years-old
•
338 Children Wounded
•
583 Teens Killed: 12 – 17
years-old
•
1,544 Teens Wounded [i]
American Mass
Shootings: Deadliest Days
Some of the deadliest mass shooting tragedies have taken
place in 2022 as indicated by the following:
·
On May
14, 2022 a gunman shot 13 people, killing 10, at a grocery store in
Buffalo, New York. Law enforcement quickly informed the public that it was
racially motivated.
·
On May
24, 2022, only ten days later, another gunman opened fire at an elementary
school in Uvalde, Texas. There were 19 children and 2 adults killed. It was the
27th school shooting of 2022.
Additional deadliest single day mass shootings in modern
U.S. history crystalize the scope of the crisis.
·
October
1, 2017 – 58 killed and over 800 injured when a deranged gunman opens fire
from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Gunfire was sprayed for approximately ten to fifteen minutes upon a crown of
about 22,000 concertgoers.
·
June 12,
2016 – 49 killed and over 50 wounded when a gunman opens fire inside the
Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
·
April 16,
2007 – 32 students and faculty killed and numerous others injured at
Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.
·
December
14, 2012 – twenty children, ages six and seven, and six adult staff and
faculty were shot dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
·
November
5, 2017 – 25 people as well as an unborn child were shot dead, and twenty
others wounded inside a small church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.
·
October
16, 1991 – 23 people are shot dead inside Luby’s Cafeteria in Killeen,
Texas.
·
July 18,
1984 – 21 adults and children are killed inside a McDonald’s in San Ysidro,
California.
·
August 1,
1966 – 18 are killed including an unborn child and at least 30 are wounded
at the University of Texas in Austin. The shooter also killed his wife and
mother earlier in the day.
·
February
14, 2018 – 17 are shot dead by a former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas
High School in Parkland, Florida.
·
December
2, 2015 – 14 are killed by a married couple during a holiday season
employee gathering at Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California. [ii]
Dedication,
Competence, Discipline
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Despite the importance of these procedures for protecting
life and property, the deficiencies at many sites were often conspicuous.
The possibility of an emergency is always a reality, whether
it be man-made or natural, and leadership must always be built of the pillars
of dedication, competence, and discipline.
Practical
Preparedness Tips
Continuous active shooter tragedies remind us that incidents
can happen any place and any time.
There are steps that can be taken to prevent the threat.
The proactive mindset of preparedness includes the mantra,
“if you see something, say something.” It also involves action plans at sites
including schools, campuses, houses of worship, and workplaces.
Visionary leadership must also ensure training, plans, and
drills are implemented if they do not exist, and there is continual and
effective ongoing training.
Situational awareness is also critical as one must always
know exits whenever visiting facilities, malls, theaters, or public places.
Survival Protocols
RUN. Getting away from the shooter or shooters is the top priority. Leave your things behind and runaway. If safe to do so, warn others nearby. Call 911 when you are safe. Describe each shooter, their locations, and weapons.
HIDE. If you
can’t get away safely, find a place to hide. Get out of the shooter’s view and
stay very quiet. Silence your electronic devices and make sure they won’t
vibrate. Lock and block doors, close blinds, and turn off the lights. Don’t
hide in groups— spread out along walls or hide separately to make it more
difficult for the shooter. Try to communicate with police silently—like through
text messages or by putting a sign in an exterior window. Stay in place until
law enforcement gives you the all clear.
FIGHT. Your last
resort when you are in immediate danger is to defend yourself. Commit to your
actions and act aggressively to stop the shooter. Ambushing the shooter together
with makeshift weapons such as chairs, fire extinguishers, scissors, and books
can distract and disarm the shooter.
During and after an incident it is always essential to
follow the instructions of law enforcement. First-Aid classes should also be
taken to learn skills that can save lives.
Responsibility of
Elected Officials
We must also demand that our elected officials, whom we have
entrusted with the health, safety, and welfare of our communities, provide the
necessary visionary leadership to enact laws to protect society.
Sensible gun laws are required, without the continuous lame
excuses, outlandish interpretation of the 2nd Amendment, and
misunderstanding of the importance of “well-regulated.”
Individuals who have nefarious intentions, or whom are not
mentally qualified must not be enabled to purchase weapons without
comprehensive background checks, training, certifications and licensing.
Final Reflections
Visionary leadership must inspire vigilance and
collaboration to prevent violence. We must have the determination, commitment,
and courage to protect ourselves and others.
Training initiatives, security assessments, sound security
measures, building police-community partnerships, professional security
personnel, and responding effectively to warning signs are critical safeguards
against active shooter tragedies.
These pillars must be inseparable from securing our
communities against mass shooting tragedies and essential to reawakening the
nation.
Published as the featured article in The Chief of Police, Official Publication of the National Association of Chiefs of Police, Oct. 27, 2022. Bove has authored 18 hard copy cover stories for the magazine, with his articles appearing on a quarterly basis uninterruptedly since 2010.
About the Author
For twenty years, Vincent has served as a Board Certified Protection Professional (CPP), Board Certified Crime Prevention Specialist, Certified Police Training Commission Instructor, Crime Prevention Practitioner, and USDOJ Certified Community Anti-Terrorism Instructor Trainer. He is currently a State of New Jersey / Division of State Police SORA Instructor, licensed for ten years.
Related Coverage:
St. Louis School Shooter: America’s Culture of Violence Demands Visionary Leadership
19 Children, 2 Adults Killed: America’s Culture of Violence and Failure of Leadership
Echoes of Columbine: School Violence Awareness and Prevention
America’s Schools: Security, Character, Academics
American School Violence Tracker: Awareness and Prevention
Resources: www.vincentbove.com or twitter@vincentjbove
Vincent J. Bove has conducted keynotes, presentations, and training throughout the United States. This partial client list in his home state of New Jersey reflects a microcosm of his programs on ethical leadership, violence prevention, and public safety nationwide:
Ø The Southern New Jersey Prosecutor’s
School Security Conference
Ø Bergen County Education Association
Conference in partnership with the Bergen County Sheriff's Office, Bergen
County Prosecutor’s Office, and Bergen County Police Chiefs Association
Ø Saint Peter's College
Ø Port Authority Police Academy
Ø Joint Base McGuire-Dix, Department of the Air Force
Ø New Jersey Education Association
Ø North Arlington Public Schools
Ø Hackensack Public Schools
Ø Hackensack Police Department - extensive domestic violence, school violence and community policing presentations, including Community Policing Summit in partnership with Hackensack University Medical Center
Ø Tenafly Public Schools
Ø West Milford Public Schools
Ø Monmouth University
Ø The Richard Stockton College of New
Jersey
Ø Cinnaminson Township Public Schools
Ø Wood-Ridge Public Schools
Ø North Arlington Public Schools
Ø Fort Lee Public Schools
Ø Morris County Professional
Counselors Association
Ø Fairleigh Dickinson University
Ø North Bergen Board of Education
Ø Union City Board of Education
Ø Rebeka Verea Foundation
Ø Bergenfield Public Schools
Ø New Jersey School Boards Association
Ø New Jersey State Interscholastic
Athletic Association
Ø Morris County Council of Education
Associations
Ø Bergen County Law and Public Safety
Institute
Ø New Jersey State Association of
Chiefs of Police
Ø New Jersey City University
Ø New Jersey Association of School
Administrators
Ø West New York Board of Education
Ø Carlstadt Public Schools
Ø Livingston Police Department
Ø New Milford Board of Education
Ø New Jersey Association of School
Business Officials
Ø North Jersey Regional Crime
Prevention Officers Association (board member)
Ø New Jersey Bias Crime Officers
Association
Ø FBI, Newark Field Division - numerous presentations including Fort Monmouth Military Base, Fort Dix Military Base, the Newark Field Office, the New Jersey Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory, the FBI Academy Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar graduation keynote at Princeton University, and their management retreat in Atlantic City, NJ.
Ø Jersey City Police Department, East District (numerous domestic violence, school violence, workplace violence keynotes & leadership keynote in partnership with cadets of the United States Military Academy on Ellis Island)
Ø DARE NJ
Ø River Vale Police Department Youth Police Academy Graduation Keynote
Ø Teaneck Police Department
Ø Essex County Police Chiefs Association
Ø Essex County Police Academy Graduation Keynote
Ø Essex County Crime Prevention Officers Association
Ø Passaic Arts and Science Center
Ø Northern Highlands Regional High
School
Bove has
also served the Bergen County Police Chiefs Association as liaison on issues
including ethical leadership and violence prevention for 20 consecutive years.
He shares monthly remarks to 75 - 100 members of the association including
police chiefs from over 70 departments, the FBI, the NYPD, the Port Authority
Police Department, associates, and affiliates.
Photos:
1. Uvalde Memorial Site, (Credit U.S. Department of
Homeland Security, Public Domain)
2. Washington DC Vigil for Pulse Nightclub Victims,
June 13, 2016. (Credit Ted Eytan, Creative Commons Attribution)
3. Sandy Hook Memorial, Dec. 26, 2012. (Credit
Bbjeter, Creative Commons Attribution)
4. Run, Hide, Fight (Courtesy FBI)
5. NYPD, Radio City Music Hall, NYC, Apr. 27, 2013
(Reawakening America LLC, Photo by Vincent J. Bove) This photo was published by The Chief of Police with Oct. 27, 2022 article by Bove titled "America's Active Shooter Crisis Demands Visionary Leadership."
6. Vincent J. Bove testimonials including FBI, law enforcement, West Point, Columbia and Monmouth Universities, School Districts.
Labels: Campus Security, Collaborative Policing, Community Policing, Education, Emergency Preparedness, Events, Gun Crime Prevention, Law Enforcement, Policing, Private Security, School Violence, Workplace Violence
posted by Vincent J. Bove, CPP at 7:03 PM
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