Florentino Perez/Jefferson Police Department
We are reminded of the threat of active shooters/active attack events with the recent UNLV Shooting in Las Vegas on December 6, 2023. It’s not an event that local law enforcement ever looks forward to, but with recent state legislation and mandated training for peace officers its something we train for constantly. Data collected by the FBI, reviews active attack events from 2000-2013 and found consistencies with active attacks. An active attack event is not just limited to Active Shooters but to include multiple events where an individual(s) is engaging in mass killing; weapons to include: Guns, Knifes, vehicles, etc. Other findings includes that the average response time for law enforcement to arrive to an active attack location is around 3 minutes, this time is the most critical. Techniques to save lives include use of three steps: RUN, HIDE and Fight for your right to live. Most will believe that most active attacks occur at schools, but the data suggests that they occur at business’s, making up 50 percent of the attacks reported in the FBI’s Data and 20 percent occurring outdoors. I urge the public to always stay vigilant and aware of your surroundings and report any suspicious activities or behaviors to law enforcement and to always have a plan to defend yourself.
A presentation that the Jefferson Police Department has participated in throughout the year is a free training to the public called Civilian Response to Active Attackers, the train the trainer course is a training provided to law enforcement for free and for our local communities. I have made it a point that all the officers have received the training so they can provide it to any small groups that would like to host the training. Topics that we discuss include a history overview of active attack events, our bodies stress response, and the need to RUN, HIDE and Fight.
If you would like to host a location for the training, please contact me at fperez@jeffersontxpd.org; Office: 903-503-8920.
Be safe,
Chief Florentino Perez