Blog - SWAT - February 2008

The active shooter phenomenon has a certain "copycat" quality to it—a deadly game won by causing the highest body count in the shortest amount of time before police can stop them.

At NIU, police responded within two minutes of the first reports. However, the shooter still managed to kill five people then turn the gun on himself all before police could stop him.
It’s difficult to fathom how police can respond faster.

The point is all of us were once new, and someday, we'll all retire. But try telling that to a rookie.

Cash-strapped agencies cannot afford larger SWAT teams. As a result, today we expect rapid intervention by first responders, who are oftentimes trained by SWAT, and must meet the brunt of the challenge.