Crime prevention through environmental control.  That is police speak for trying to reduce the risk of a horrible series of tragedies that is becoming too commonplace in America today, from school shootings in Florida, to killings at a central Kentucky Kroger to the incident all too close to home at Fifth Third Bank on Fountain Square in September where four victims died.

At the October 26 quarterly CBC Advocacy Forum at the RiverCenter Towers Covington Police Department Sergeant Bryan Bogard and Lieutenant Markus Jordan addressed the Active Shooter Response issue.

The program began ominously as Sgt. Bogard allowed for 30 seconds of silence. After 30 seconds he said multiple that time by four and that’s how long it generally takes for police to arrive on the scene after a dispatch call for a shooter situation. Officers Bogard and Jordan recommended businesses and other organizations explore developing emergency response plans on how employees can be safely evacuated quickly. They also made observations about how to make your office safer from outside intruders whose sole purpose is to commit premeditated murder on your site. Suggestions included putting heavy but movable file cabinets near exit doors that can be used to slow the advanced of assailants and have basic building floor plans stuffed behind hallway fire extinguishers, to make it easier for police to familiarize themselves with the building quickly.

Lt. Jordan said that potential victims need to move or distract shooters which can increase their survival chances from 30% to 90%. He added that mass killers sole purpose is to kill as many people as possible as quickly as possible, adding that seconds count in delaying the worst from occurring.

Sergeant Bogard says there are several telltale signs that a person can be of capable of inflicting such harm:  alcohol, drug, financial, marital/relationship problems, absenteeism at work, lack of hygiene and violent over-reactions to workplace change.

While Covington Police are able to train schools and nonprofits on how to prepare for active shooter, for profit businesses need to work through a nationally accredited for profit organization providing training. The group is ALICE which is an acronym for actions needed during shooter situations:  Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter & Evacuation.  Contact Officer Bogard for more information:  bbogard@covingtonky.gov.