PA - Assassination attempt, shooting injures former POTUS Donald Trump, leaves 1 spectator deceased two in critical condition, 13 July 2024 #4

[branmuffin]

This whole issue of communication among law enforcement entities at major events and during major crises just really makes me angry. This has been discussed for years now, and it still seems like little progress has been made.

In 2007, after the Virginia Tech campus shooting that killed 33 people, task forces were formed in states across the country to address campus safety and issues that we learned from the Virginia Tech mass shooting. At the time, I was working at a university in Ohio and was appointed to represent our university on the Governor's Task Force on Campus Safety that was established immediately after the Virginia Tech incident. We had many statewide meetings, including meetings with leaders from Virginia Tech's campus security team. One of the things that came up at these meetings, over and over again, was the need for improved and coordinated communication abilities among different law enforcement agencies. That was in 2007. It is now 2024. And the SS are still having this problem? Seventeen (17) years ago the communications problem among various LE entities in crisis events was highlighted as needing to be resolved. I find it amazing that it is still a problem among SS and state LE and local LE. It should be obvious and a no-brainer that this is critical - one of the most critical issues - for law enforcement in a crisis situation that they plan for when providing protection for our presidents and other VIP leaders.

I don't think task forces on campus safety are ever really going to be successful since the very fact they exist is because the event has already happened. Like the famous saying the NRA likes to repeat: 'when seconds count the police are minutes away' is definitely apropos in relation to a mass shooting. There's only one area in law enforcement, to my knowledge, where presumptive investigation takes place and that is organized crime. They're looking for crimes before they happen because many times they already know who the players are. That doesn't happen in mass shootings.

 

[OddOneOut]

Seems there are radios out there that could be used for ss,fbi, state, and local LE that could be used during an event where they are needed.

Seems the ss, fbi have allowed their authority to keep LE below them, like their not worthy.

I can’t leave this out, the ones that were in the building their phones should be subpoenaed to see if they were using their phones.

…

Every time i go to a store 8-10 employees are on their phone,except the cashiers.

Jmo

I don't know about PA but here in Ohio there are state requirements about what radios we use. I live in a small city with a population of less than 7,000. We have those radios and so does every city or township around us. We need them to coordinate mutual aid which is very common here. Our first responders can communicate directly to first responders in every other city around us simply by changing to the same channel. I believe they can also coordinate with county and state first responders as well. Now federal is a big question as I don't know if they have the radios. I suspect FBI, SS, CIA, etc. use cell phones.

Just my opinion as I don't have a link to the Ohio ordinances or the minutes of our city public meeting in which this was discussed.

 

[fred&edna]

If their budget is three billion -- that should cover it ?
Or ... what exactly is the money being used for ?
Omo.

That's the $3 billion question!

jmo

 

[fred&edna]

The communication technology failed but within that was the US SS failure to actually LISTEN! Maybe some of them have part of that $3 billion stuffed in their ears.

jmo

 

[Friday Fan]

I was reading yesterday how communication was also an issue during 911. And that was in 2001. The agencies couldn't directly communicate with each other - it created issues and needed to be improved.

Not quite the same scenario, but it was spoken of in an article about the attempted assassination.
I am not sure which article I read it in, but here is one that speaks of the problem.


The tragedies of 9/11 revealed fundamental problems with communication systems used by U.S. first responders. The radios that police, fire, and paramedics relied on did not effectively operate across different agencies. Some of these issues were operational, while the majority were technical.
The release of The Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States in 2004 was a landmark moment for the future of public safety communications. The commission recommended dedicating a swath of radio spectrum for a single purpose—establishing an interoperable nationwide public safety network.

https://www.policechiefmagazine.org/communications-from-9-11-to-covid-19/#:~:text=The%20tragedies%20of%209%2F11,while%20the%20majority%20were%20technical.

It was an issue in Uvalde! Radios did not work indoors. Uvalde was set up with a rural long range emergency network that was designed after 911. Unfortunately it didn't work indoors.

 

[Maumau1616]

Senator Lindsey Graham... Repeatedly asked what do you need to have joint communication system? Do you need more for protection detail?
Moo ... Judicial/Homeland Security Congressional Committee hearing

If I can have a communication system that is private, secure/encrypted, and works reliably across dozens of separate corporate teams across the globe, there's no reason why the SS can't find one that works for them and any other group they happen to be working with on any given day.
MOO.

 

[Tricia]

This thread is closing for the night. It will reopen in the morning.
Take care,
Tricia