All law enforcement agencies would be required to follow an active shooter training program developed by the Law enforcement Rapid Response Training Center.
AUSTIN, Texas — Legislation with the intent to boost public safety and improve law enforcement response times to mass shootings, heads to the Texas Senate.
Former Uvalde mayor and now State Rep. Don McLaughlin authored House Bill 33, also known as the Uvalde Strong Act, which the Texas House of Representatives unanimously approved one week ago.
“This will give citizens, parents with kids in school that — knowing that there’s going to be accountability,” McLaughlin said.
The bill comes in response to the Robb Elementary shooting on May 24, 2022, when a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers. Nearly 400 law enforcement officers responded and took more than an hour to neutralize the assailant.
McLaughlin, who was mayor at the time of the shooting, is still haunted by the tragedy.
“I’ve never been one to shy away from it. There was a failure of law enforcement that day. You had numerous agencies there, numerous officers there. There was no coordination,” McLaughlin said.
The bill mandates annual active shooter training exercises involving all law enforcement agencies throughout Texas. School district and local law enforcement must meet and coordinate responses to mass shootings.
The training would align with a uniformed plan developed by the advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center at Texas State University.
“That way if one agency gets there first and they fail to take action or setup what needs to be done, the next agency knows immediately what needs to be done and goes forward and does it,” McLaughlin said.
Jesse Rizo, uncle of Robb Elementary victim Jacklyn Cazares, welcomes the mission of the Uvalde Strong Act but he believes more must be done in terms of accountability and consequences being laid out in the legislation.
“You can teach, you can train, you can write, you can implement, you can do all these things,” Rizo said. “If you fail to do your duty, your responsibility, then we will seek action against you in termination, holding you accountable for that failure.”
The Uvalde Police Department provided an emailed statement in which Chief Homer Delgado expressed support for the Uvalde Strong Act:
“I fully support House Bill 33, the Uvalde Strong Act,” said Chief Delgado. “This bill is the result of a shared commitment by law enforcement leaders and public servants to make our communities safer and ensure we are more accountable for our actions. I’m proud to have played a role in shaping it and grateful to Representative McLaughlin for taking the lead in making this vision a reality.”
Uvalde police also noted the Uvalde Strong Act serves as a step forward “in rebuilding trust between law enforcement and the public by promoting transparency, encouraging strong leadership and supporting community-based policing efforts across Texas.”