Milford Police Department Holds Special Ops Training

Call me easily impressed or just a crime TV addict, either one, I was absolutely star-struck when I received my invitation to observe our own Milford Police Special Operations Team training exercises! I had hoped it would be as all the crime/drama shows I watch, but thought I would most certainly be disappointed. After all, this is Milford PD not Boston or New York, but Milford. How could a town have resources, programs and Spec Ops teams?

Standing out front of the High School I attended years ago and that my son attends now, watching the Police vehicles pull in one by one. I couldn't help but notice one vehicle in particular had Special Ops decals on it. Wow, maybe this IS serious?

I, like many, had a certain opinion of our PD and police everywhere. People generally see cops in one way and that all depends on their past experiences. Those that have been in a situation where police were saviors, love, respect and admire them. Those who have had criminal backgrounds, difficult pasts, any kind of past where police where constantly present, don't tend to think too highly of them. Then you have the in-betweens. The people that see officers as someone you call for help, an escort for firetrucks and rescue or my favorite, ticket writers. How many of us really know what our PD does behind the scenes to keep us safe?

Back to the training.
There were a couple of other members of the press at this training and boy did I feel like a newbee! Any fears or anxiety I had were whisked away when I spoke to our own Chief O'Loughlin and was introduced to Mr Jeff Beatty. (You can check out Mr.Beatty's page for his full resume at:
http://www.jeffbeatty.com.)
Calling him Mr. Beatty, to me, doesn't do him justice. This mans’ resume resembles that of a true American Hero! How is this possible? How did our Chief manage to get someone as experienced as Mr. Beatty to come train our Milford PD team?

As I walked behind the team with the other media, I saw how real this is. As they prepared to enter one of the classrooms in the C wing, things got more serious. Their demeanor changed and in an instant, it wasn’t just training, it was professional tactics at what could be a real crime scene. They entered the classroom as if there was an active shooter, checking every door, window, nook and cranny, while one officer was stationed outside the classroom. Mr. Beatty indulged my curiosity and answered any questions I had. He even made a point to show me a rear view mirror he "acquired" from an MPD cruiser and he explained how they intended to use it for officer safety. Unknown to Mr. Beatty, I had already seen that done on a TV show. After a quick laugh at the TV reference, I stopped watching this as a writer and was now a parent and Milford resident, seeing firsthand how ready our Special Ops Team is in the event of an incident. The training inside only lasted 30 minutes or so but it was eye opening to see them in action, focused and confident. We then moved outside to see the officer's problem solving. What do they do if they need to pull open one of the side doors? What if the concrete is in the way and a vehicle can't crash through? What would they do if the shooter was on the roof or in this room or that room? Their preparedness was stellar! They went through scenario after scenario, working together with Mr. Beatty and under the supervision of Sergeant Robbie Tusino, they excelled!

Next, it was a school bus scenario time! The team walked around the school bus, making sure to check out all of the emergency exits, utilizing each others past experiences on how to get in to the bus and how to get children/hostages out! Will the SUV be high enough so the children can use it as a ladder? What else could be used in a hurry to free any one trapped? Again, impressive! Mr. Beatty then brought up the idea of our school bus drivers taking a course or 2 on preparedness. Just a course or two could help bus drivers have some idea of what to do in certain situations and how to handle them. Another great idea!

Q&A time:
Once the training was done, we were allowed to speak with Mr. Beatty and Chief O’Loughlin and ask whatever questions we had. At the same time the IT Person arrived. I had asked if our PD had access to the High schools security cameras in the event of an emergency and his response was that they are working on it. Then I asked him how long it would take to access the cameras and his response was reassuring, a matter of minutes! The Chief also spoke of the Rave Panic Button cell phone app all teachers and school employees have access too. In the event of an emergency, teachers can press a button on their phones and in addition to calling 9-1-1 it sends an immediate alert to the Chief, the Special Ops Team, School Resource Officers and School Administrators.
During this discussion we also learned about the numbering of each classroom and exterior door and how this information is displayed in every classroom. Little things that you and I might not think of, the Chief has and has successfully incorporated them into the schools safety protocols. So again, I am seeing this as a parent and resident. To hear the reasoning behind the spec team sealed my trust in our PD. In the event of a situation, if SWAT needs to be called, it could take an average of 45 minutes to an hour for them to arrive. That is 45 to 60 very precious minutes. Knowing how valuable time can be and wanting for nothing but the safety our children and residents, the Chief knew he had to bring more training to his department. And he did. The Special Ops Team is trained in the same manner, in the same protocols as SWAT. While SWAT is a very important tool in any serious situation, Milford now has Police Officers and a Team that is trained and ready to go immediately when needed. I don't know about anyone else, but I feel much better now about sending my son to school. We see shootings and stabbings, too much violence happens in school settings and just knowing our Chief and our Police Department is working so hard and tirelessly to ensure our safety, is enough for me to feel safe and protected.
In this social media and internet age, we tend to hear the bad more than the good, particularly as it relates to the police. A couple of incidents make them all look bad and that's a shame. Yes, not all are good and I wouldn't insult anyone by saying otherwise. But, most are good and do take their job very seriously and an entire profession should not be looked down upon because of a few bad apples. We do need to hold officers accountable for their actions, as in ANY profession, but we also should respect them because at the end of the day, when you need the MPD, they are there, doing their jobs, protecting and serving.