By Cindy Granier
The University of Houston Police Department wants everyone to be prepared should an active shooter incident occur on campus.
The National Tactical Officers Association defines an active shooter as one or more subjects who participate in a random or systematic shooting spree, demonstrating their intent to continuously harm others. An active shooter’s overriding objective appears to be that of mass murder, rather than criminal conduct such as robbery, kidnapping, etc. The definition of an active shooter can include any assault with a deadly weapon causing a mass homicide.
Now is the time to contact UHPD if an individual or department is interested in attending a Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events presentation. UHPD’s Crime Prevention Unit provides a two-hour presentation and would like to hear from the UH community. Send an email to preventcrime@uh.edu or call 713-743-0596 to reserve a seat today. When contacting the police department, let them know if the presentation is for an individual or an entire department.
For safety tips and other active shooter situations, go to www.uh.edu/police/active_shooter.html. These tips and guidelines are not all-inclusive, but if understood and followed up with periodic reminders and trainings when feasible, it can increase the chances of surviving an active shooter incident.