San Antonio Police Chief William McManus tweeted that local officers have the capacity and the capability to train and respond should the need arise in an active threat situation.
Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus tweeted on Wednesday, August 3, about how the local department is capable and ready to respond to active threat situations should they ever arise. McManus wrote that he met with federal, state, and local law-enforcement officials to discuss active threat responses.
“Coordination and training among partner agencies is essential,” McManus tweeted. “SAPD has the capacity and the capability to train and respond should the need arise.”
The meeting with officials comes after 376 officers from multiple agencies failed to quickly engage with the mass shooter in Uvalde who killed 19 students and two teachers on May 24. No officers entered the classroom with the mass shooter until 73 minutes from the first shot. A report from the Texas House investigative committee revealed officers lacked leadership and urgency, which led to “multiple systemic failures” in the law enforcement response.
Other agencies have also started training their officers following the Uvalde response. On Wednesday, Castle Hills Mayor JR Trevino posted on social media about how he volunteered to help the Castle Hills Police Department with its weapons training at the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office’s training facility last month.
“Our Officers used a non-lethal ammunition called Simunition, which is like a paintball,” he wrote in a Facebook post. “This allows them to use a fake weapon that is approximately the same size, style, and weight as their duty weapon. After they stop the threat, played by yours truly, officers debrief and coach each other to improve their verbal and tactical skills.”