Grant to help MPD cops in shooting scenarios

A $15,000 Motorola Solutions Foundation’s Public Safety and Security Institute grant awarded to the Maricopa Police Foundation will fund active-shooter training for regional agencies.

Maricopa Police Chief Steve Stahl said this type of training helps officers “actively pursuing a shooter so (the shooter) can create no further damage.”

The training creates a safer learning environment for students while helping officers ensure their own safety when responding to someone shooting at them.

The police department is working with Central Arizona College to conduct the scenario-based training on the new Maricopa campus.

Generally, the training consists of participants having an hour of classroom instruction that includes psychological training and ensures officers are mentally prepared for such a situation.

Trainees would then go through various scenarios on the campus in which they work to stop a shooter.

The exact time frame and number of training sessions has not yet been determined.

Stahl emphasized the training would not only benefit the Maricopa Police Department.

“I believe this is an exciting opportunity for all the regional jurisdictions to have some training,” he said.

Invited participants include the Gila River and Ak-Chin Indian communities’ police departments, Maricopa Unified School District school resource officers and CAC security.

“We’re going to be hosting the training,” Stahl said.