By Neetu Chandak
A Chicago suburb police chief is making his officers read the nearly 500-page Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting report to prevent the same mistakes made in Florida.
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission released the initial report, which made recommendations like arming teachers and investing more into mental health programs, on Jan. 2. Missteps included officers not confronting suspected shooter Nikolas Cruz immediately, the school lacking a clear lockdown plan and inefficient communication systems.
“This report on the shooting in Parkland is a game-changer for law enforcement,” Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel said, WBBM Newsradio reported Monday.
— Riverside Police (@PDRiverside) January 7, 2019
Weitzel added that while there were officers who were heroic, there were also “large failures.” He felt the report addressed the mistakes, according to WBBM.
“We must learn from our mistakes and others mistakes,” Weitzel said to The Daily Caller News Foundation over email. “It’s the only way we can improve our response and tactics.”
The Parkland shooting left 17 people dead on Feb. 14, 2018.
Officers have a month to read the report and will be followed up with a discussion, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Weitzel will have a checklist to ensure officers have read the report, according to WBBM.
The police chief also gave copies of the report to local school districts, the Tribune reported.
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Neetu Chandak is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation. Follow Neetu on Twitter.
Photo “Tom Wetzel” by Riverside Police Department.
Background Photo “Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School by Coral Springs Talk. CC BY 2.0.
