Terrorists and Cops Part Two

SWAT ThinBlueFlorida.comTwo weeks ago, I wrote about terrorism migrating to our shores in the aftermath of the Paris attacks.  Then came the ISIS-inspired San Bernardino massacre.  Sadly, a homegrown extremist shooting occurred sooner than anyone thought would.  Local, state, and federal agencies responded swiftly to contain and extinguish the threat in SoCal.

One of my colleagues complained Thursday that many departments have a “it won’t happen here” attitude toward agency preparedness.  He suggested more active shooter, tactical combat casualty care, and improvised explosive device training for all officers.  I would listen to him.  He has experience as a U.S. Army explosive ordinance disposal technician and combat medic.  Yeah, he’s seen the elephant in the sandbox, too.  And he fixed my duty Sig.  Great guy…

In my previous article, I suggested we train and have TCCC gear handy.  I also think we need to up-armor both our bodies and vehicles.  If you don’t have rifle plates, get some.  More than one of our officers wears Level IV plates on each and every shift.  At minimum, have Level III ready to go.  All agencies need to have accessibility to armored vehicles for rescue and assault.  Shame on the President for taking away 1033 Program surplused equipment from cop shops.

Although I am fine with a police shotgun for the majority of issues, the trunk of my detective car also contains an AR-15 with an undisclosed amount of 5.56 ammunition for unfortunate crises.  I seem to have also acquired a IIIA shield, ballistic helmet, axe, and breaching pry bar.  To heist from the Coast Guard, “Semper Paratus.”

American-Flag-2048x1536-iPad-wallpaper_1The terrorist threat to our citizens and families cannot be overstated.  We need to be vigilant and prepared.  All my guys carry off-duty, and I do, too.  So should anyone with sound training who is willing to assess a dangerous situation and take the necessary action.  San Bernardino is not the last time extremists will kill on American soil.  Let’s fight back.

Randall

 

This entry was posted in Concealed Carry, Firearms, Off Duty, Officer Safety, Protective Armor, Street, SWAT, Tactics. Bookmark the permalink.

One Response to Terrorists and Cops Part Two

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *