SEPT 2022. Blues Vol 38 No. 9

major urban centers.”

major urban centers.” Marfa’s police department — reestablished in 2017 with four patrol officers for a town of fewer than 2,000 people — hosted an ALERRT training session for neighboring law enforcement agencies in March at Marfa High School. Before that, Marfa officers hadn’t received formal ALERRT training since 2018, according to records from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement — which Marquez blames in part on the pandemic. The department otherwise drills for active shooters twice a year, Marquez said, and it’s possible it could add a third training session. In the meantime, the department is looking for ways to shore up its stock of tactical equipment, Marquez said. Marfa police have bullet-proof vests and rifle-resistant armor the force received through grants that would be helpful when encountering a shooter, Marquez said, but the agency still needs equipment like helmets and shields and may need to make cuts elsewhere in its budget to afford them. Another thing that worries Marquez in the event of a mass shooting: Marfa has one ambulance, and the nearest hospital is 30 minutes away in Alpine. Police departments have to balance mass-shooter preparation with other demands, experts said. They also must train in areas like deescalation tactics and spotting human traffickers while maintaining enough staffing to do their regular patrol work. Although mass shootings are more common in the United States than in other parts of the world, they’re still fairly rare and account for a small percentage of crimes that involve firearms. “There’s only so much time and money that it makes sense for an individual agency to invest in something,” said Phillip Lyons, dean of Sam Houston State University’s College of Criminal Justice. “This is a very high consequence event but has an extremely low probability of happening to the vast majority of agencies out there. So, with precious limited resources, what do we invest them in?” LE AGENCIES CALL FOR PRICING Supplying Law Enforcement Equipment for the State of TEXAS! 12GA 870P PUMP SHOTGUN NEW! 13614 OPTIC READY 9MM M&P 9 M2.0 CALIBER: 12GA CAPACITY: 5+1 SIGHTS: BEAD BARREL LENGTH: 18” STOCK: SYNTHETIC R24403 CALIBER: 9MM CAPACITY: 17+1 SIGHTS: NIGHT SIGHTS BARREL LENGTH: 4.25” 66-101287 9MM LAPD VERSION FN509 MRD-LE AR15 M-LOK Capable Handguard, QD Sling Mounts In Buttstock and Handguard M4 ENHANCED PATROL RIFLE CALIBER: 9MM CAPACITY: 17+1 SIGHTS: NIGHT SIGHTS BARREL LENGTH: 4.0” CR6920-EPR CALIBER: 5.56 NATO CAPACITY: 30+1 SIGHTS: MAGPUL FLIP UP BARREL LENGTH: 16.1” STOCK: ADJUSTABLE CALL OR EMAIL US FOR PRICING OR ASK US ABOUT DEMOS OR TRADE-INS Tel: 800-367-5855 www.proforceonline.com WRM400-556N-11B-PRO-SBR AGENCY ONLY M400 SBR ACRO P-2 CALIBER: 5.56 NATO CAPACITY: 30+1 SIGHTS: FLIP UP BARREL LENGTH: 11.5” STOCK: ADJUSTABLE NEW! RED 200691 Next Generation 3.5MOA DOT Red Dot Sight 3.5 MOA DOT SIZE INCLUDES CR2032 BATTERY 50,000 HOURS (OVER 5 YEARS) OF CONSTANT OPERATION Gear & accessories for law enforcement AGENCIES CHECK OUT THESE GREAT MANUFACTURERS AIMPOINT • BERETTA • COLT BIANCHI • TASER • BENELLI SMITH & WESSON • CZ USA H&K • DANIEL DEFENSE • EOTECH SIG SAUER • SHADOW SYSTEMS DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY • AGUILA SPETZ GEAR • BURRIS • UTM MOSSBERG • PROTECH • RUGER STREAMLIGHT • MAGPUL SAFARILAND • SPRINGFIELD BLACKHAWK • OSS • HOLOSUN TRIJICON • SUREFIRE • BOLA WRAP US PEACEKEEPER • OTIS NIGHTSTICK • FNH USA NOTE: TERRITORY RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY Visit our website today for up to date information, pricing and products! PROMOTION ENDS 9/30/22 Support Center: 2625 Stearman Road, Prescott AZ, 86301 Tel: (800) 367-5855 e-mail: sales@proforceonline.com | www.proforceonline.com 46 The BLUES The BLUES 47