Full Notification

Unfortunately, I do not believe that I need to explain why it is so important that we continue to prepare for and work to prevent mass shooting incidents. 

Please know as well that despite the most recent attacks in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio our commitment to active shooter readiness has been ongoing for decades - which includes GTPD leading active shooter training both for new police officers at the Camden County Police Academy, and in-service training for officers from throughout the state.  Also, we completed our first House of Worship security training in 2012, and since that time implemented our own Threat Assessment Group, which consists of members of the department and myself who meet often to discuss how our agency can better train, be better equipped, and work with our community in addressing active shooter incidents. 

Our continued progress in both preparing for and preventing mass murder events is embedded in what we call our 3^RD GEAR Policing Philosophy (1^st GEAR Suppression or Arrest, 2^ND GEAR Prevention, and 3^RD GEAR Intervention).

We have continually evaluated and improved our weapon capability, as it was important that we were not outgunned by those who desired to kill.  However, our review of past active shooter incidents found that it was most important that we must have the proper equipment beyond firearms to effectively respond to such terrible events.  One area of concern that we identified was that first responding officers must have the ability to quickly make entry to the scene of an active shooter especially when such buildings or rooms are locked or otherwise secured from the inside.  Although many of our police vehicles have always been equipped with basic door breaching tools, we determined that the deployment of more advanced equipment may be necessary to save lives. These challenges surfaced in numerous past mass killings in the U.S. including the 2006 Amish Schoolhouse in Lancaster County, the 2007 Virginia Tech Campus, the 2013 Washington Navy Yard, and the 2019 Virginia Beach Municipal Complex.  Specifically with the Virginia Tech Campus shooting, officers spent nearly five minutes trying to break through doors that were chained shut by the shooter while he was killing victims. More recently – at the Virginia Beach Municipal Complex officers were unable to reach upper floors to rescue victims and stop the shooter due to them encountering doors locked and only accessible by electronic key cards.

In an active shooter situation, minutes and even seconds are critical.  Security measures designed to protect people can greatly hamper police response if officers are not equipped to quickly defeat these necessary security obstacles.

We know that we must make the investment and provide the training for our officers so they can defeat locked doors, chained doors, doors equipped with electronic locks, and more. This is why we have deployed the two Patrol Support Vehicles which are each equipped with a portable hydraulic breaching tool, well capable of defeating hardened commercial doors. This specific tool is the “Hurst Law Enforcement StrongArm” from the same manufacturer of the “Jaws of Life.”  In addition to the hydraulic entry tool, these vehicles are also equipped with ladders, additional weapons, a ballistic shield, ballistic blanket, ample supply of pre-loaded rifle and handgun magazines, night vision equipment, tactical cameras, and stretchers/sleds to assist in removing victims.  These vehicles also contain other equipment that officers will utilize on a variety of calls for service.

There can never be a delay in having the equipment at our disposal so that we can reach and stop the attacker; therefore; one of these two vehicles will be on duty 24 hours every day. These vehicles were not purchased and outfitted as a result of the most recent mass killings.  The original planning for these vehicles and equipment began in late 2017, were purchased in 2018, and outfitted this year. 

In addition to the various tools and equipment in the Patrol Support Vehicles the following additional equipment has been deployed or upgraded:

Every Gloucester Township Police Patrol Unit is also equipped with door breaching tools and officers have received advanced active assault response training.

All Supervisor and School Resource Officer vehicles have been equipped with a Knox Box Key system which enables responding officers to utilize a key to enter every school and nearly every commercial building in Gloucester Township.

We have deployed patrol rifles in many of our vehicles for well over fifteen years and now all of our patrol rifles are being equipped with the most advanced tactical sighting systems to help better prepare officers.

We hope that such a tragic event never occurs in Gloucester Township or anywhere for that matter, and in an effort to help prevent such terrible acts; we have introduced other measures in addition to the Patrol Support Vehicles and equipment which include:
Juvenile Huddle.  The Juvenile Unit Huddle was established in 2011 where we have already discussed the behavior and offered services to more than 2,400 youth who have committed an offense, made or expressed a threat, been truant from school, runaway, had a crisis episode, have been exposed to trauma - such as domestic violence, or suffered other adverse childhood experiences. There has been much conversation lately about missed “red flags,” or failed opportunities to “connect the dots” - and especially when adult attackers exhibited concerning behaviors when they were young. Our Juvenile Unit Huddle works to holistically help young people early to help prevent tragedy and “connect those dots.”  Additionally, for the past two years officers assigned to our Firearms Investigation Unit now review information from our Juvenile Huddle to see if we should be concerned about a person who is now an adult and seeking to obtain a firearm permit. We believe this model offers a proactive approach to preventing mass killings.

Firearms Possession and Persons in Crisis. Since June 2017 anytime a Gloucester Township Police Officer encounters a person in crisis, which includes a person who has overdosed, the officer must inquire if the person owns or has access to a firearm, and will query all available databases to ascertain if the person has any registered firearms.  When it is learned that the person has firearms, the officers request that the person surrender the firearm for safekeeping.  This process has resulted in 25 firearms being surrendered by persons in crisis since June 2017.  This is important as law enforcement officers are not required to ask about firearms in these cases at the current time; however, we believe that our practice has already potentially saved lives.

I will continue to regularly convene our Threat Assessment Group so that we will always advance our active shooter preparedness and our unique 3^RD GEAR Policing efforts to prevent such mass killings. 
 
 
https://www.phillyvoice.com/south-jersey-police-department-takes-active-shooter-response-new-level/
https://kywnewsradio.radio.com/media/audio-channel/gloucester-township-police-unveil-new-support-vehicles
https://www.njpen.com/active-shooter-defenses-drills-gear-and-community-intervention/
https://thesunpapers.com/2019/08/15/national-mass-shootings-prompt-gloucester-county-police-department-to-invest-in-active-shooter-equipment/