Orlando Shooting and Police Militarization Paper Example

Comment on how law enforcement have organized their approach to finding the shooter; i.e., the dispersion of agents in the scene.

Many police officers responded to this attack, and they are dispersed all over the place. The agents inside the club are dispersed in a manner meant to ensure that the terrorist does not escape or spring a surprise attack. Some of the officers go in while shouting commands to the assailant. This initial wave of agents goes in while others remain behind. One agent is standing at the club counter while the initial team is going through other entrances checking for survivors, and trying to locate the terrorist (Storyful News 2017). Those who remain behind, at the entrance, have their weapons trained ahead covering the ones who go in close to the action. This formation means that they support each other. The initial team can be more effective in its search knowing that there is sufficient cover behind. Some of the agents are situated outside the nightclub to ensure that the assailant does not escape through an unknown exit. The nightclub has a hip-hop room, main bar, entrance, and a raised patio area that some people were using to escape (ABC News, 2016). It makes sense why the police covered so many points since there are numerous escape routes. There are many other agents outside, weapons trained, crouching behind squad cars. Some of them are seen helping out survivors who managed to escape.

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Comment on the number and types of emergency respondents.

There are various respondents at the team since such efforts are usually multiagency coordination. The following respondents are present:

• FBI- as the Lead Federal Agency, the bureau must be present at the scene of such a terror attack to coordinate the entire response operation. The bureau also keeps dossiers on terrorist elements such as the shooter in the club.
• Orlando Police- they must be present since the crime has occurred within their jurisdiction. Police ensure that law and order are maintained at the site as well as apprehending the shooter.
• The mayor is also present as part of the initial response. Mayors play a vital role in ensuring the security and safety of citizens in their cities, and the importance of their role went a notch higher after 9/11.
• K-9 units also form part of the response team. These units, use highly trained sniffer dogs to locate contraband or individuals. They might also come in handy in helping to locate survivors or the shooter.
• Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) are also part of the response team. They act as the tactical spearhead by working with the early responders to neutralize the active shooter. SWAT, as the name suggests, specializes in weapons and tactics to neutralize violent threats. Sometimes the threat may be too much for the weapons of local law enforcement teams, and SWAT can help.
• Ambulances also form part of the emergency response team. There are likely to be many injured people at the scene of such a shooting hence the ambulance will come in handy in offering emergency medical assistance. Getting medical help to people it in time could save plenty of lives

Considering the law enforcement response to the Orlando shooting, advocate a position for or against police militarization.

Police militarization refers to a situation where law enforcement agencies adopt the tactics, weapons, equipment, and culture of the military. The Pentagon has been transferring surplus military equipment to over 8,000 police agencies via its Defense Logistics Agency (Trilling, 2017). The situation has brought some controversy as some people claim that the police often go too far in the use of lethal force. The equipment sent to police departments consists of things like rifles, helicopters, and armored vehicles.

Considering the case of the Orlando nightclub shooting, the police spent a long period in cornering the suspect. They had to be cautious in their operations to get the best line of fire without risking the lives of anyone. On the other hand, the SWAT team managed to break the long wait by using an armored vehicle smash and breach a wall in the nightclub as they follow closely behind (ABC News, 2016). The SWAT team was able to respond decisively due to its availability of high caliber equipment. The clothing, equipment, guns, and armored vehicles give them sufficiently, resources to thwart such threats decisively.

I support the militarization of police since it will help in combating terrorist activities by upgrading the tactics and equipment. Terrorists are getting bolder, and the weapons and tactics they use are advancing. The Orlando shooter managed to pin all those officers down since he had an assault rifle and plenty of ammunition. To match the modern trends in terrorist activities, police need to have superior equipment and tactics of stopping acts of terror before they exacerbate. If the police officers had special gear and weaponry, they could have ended the standoff early on. Since they are often the first respondents, militarization may help them to improve their chances of eliminating the threat quickly. Terrorists will also be wary of engaging a militarized police since it will be a lethal adversary.

References

[Storyful News]. (2017, June 1). Police Corner Mass Killer in Pulse Nightclub [Video file]. Received from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaUVx-e747Y

Trilling, D. (2017). The militarization of America's police may reduce crime: New study. Retrieved from https://journalistsresource.org/studies/government/security-military/militarization-police-reduce-crime-research[ABC News]. (2016, June 13). Orlando Nightclub Massacre: A Timeline of What Happened

[Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMfuNIe33t4