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DENTON COUNTY, TX (KXXV) -
Amid the news that a deputy in Florida failed to confront the high school shooter that killed 17 people on Valentine's Day, a Texas sheriff is reminding his deputies his policy during an active shooter situation.

In an email sent to employees of the Denton County Sheriff's Office, Sheriff Tracy Murphree said all commissioned deputies responding to an active shooter situation are expected to take immediate action.

"We do not stage and wait for SWAT, we do not take cover in a parking lot, and we do not wait for another agency. We go in and do our duty. We go in to engage and stop the shooter and save lives," Murphree said.

Murphree added that if any deputies feel they cannot follow this policy the department will work to reassign them.

Does reassign mean fire?

rotor wrote:Does reassign mean fire?

It should IMHO. Desk job is how I took it.

montgomery wrote:DENTON COUNTY, TX (KXXV) -
Amid the news that a deputy in Florida failed to confront the high school shooter that killed 17 people on Valentine's Day, a Texas sheriff is reminding his deputies his policy during an active shooter situation.

In an email sent to employees of the Denton County Sheriff's Office, Sheriff Tracy Murphree said all commissioned deputies responding to an active shooter situation are expected to take immediate action.

"We do not stage and wait for SWAT, we do not take cover in a parking lot, and we do not wait for another agency. We go in and do our duty. We go in to engage and stop the shooter and save lives," Murphree said.

Murphree added that if any deputies feel they cannot follow this policy the department will work to reassign them.

Excellent words from the Sheriff!

I remember back in the day when I had to read and sign my acknowledgement to our handbook. It clearly said that cowardice in the line of duty was justification for immediate termination. Our sheriff had a no-nonsense approach as well, and he held us to it.

rotor wrote:Does reassign mean fire?

As tempting as it might be to make that the penalty, it would not serve the public well. If a deputy knows or feels he would not enter a school alone with an active shooter, he/she may be willing to let his supervisor know if it truly meant a transfer. If he know he would be fired, there would be an incentive to just keep quite knowing that it's highly unlikely he would ever have to deal with an active shooter.

Chas.

Charles L. Cotton wrote:

rotor wrote:Does reassign mean fire?

As tempting as it might be to make that the penalty, it would not serve the public well. If a deputy knows or feels he would not enter a school alone with an active shooter, he/she may be willing to let his supervisor know if it truly meant a transfer. If he know he would be fired, there would be an incentive to just keep quite knowing that it's highly unlikely he would ever have to deal with an active shooter.

Chas.

Good point Charles but when you are hired to be a LEO and then don't feel that you can do the job should you be given a nice desk job with no physical risk at the same pay and retirement? I guess we can have LEO with a new class of protected status, cowards, and we should treat them like all of the rest of the crew? Perhaps they will all want that same status. Maybe we need Robocop.

rotor wrote:

Charles L. Cotton wrote:

rotor wrote:Does reassign mean fire?

As tempting as it might be to make that the penalty, it would not serve the public well. If a deputy knows or feels he would not enter a school alone with an active shooter, he/she may be willing to let his supervisor know if it truly meant a transfer. If he know he would be fired, there would be an incentive to just keep quite knowing that it's highly unlikely he would ever have to deal with an active shooter.

Chas.

Good point Charles but when you are hired to be a LEO and then don't feel that you can do the job should you be given a nice desk job with no physical risk at the same pay and retirement? I guess we can have LEO with a new class of protected status, cowards, and we should treat them like all of the rest of the crew? Perhaps they will all want that same status. Maybe we need Robocop.

I'm not advocating for a desk job. I'm talking about not being assigned to a school or district with of a lot of schools. If that's not possible and a desk job is the only alternative, then I agree that there's no place for them in the agency.

Chas.

The memo from Sheriff Tracy Murphree doesn't appear to limit the directive to schools.

apostate wrote:The memo from Sheriff Tracy Murphree doesn't appear to limit the directive to schools.

Valid point. He expects all active shooters to be dealt with actively, rather than passively. I respect his direct approach.