School shooting at Texas Elementary school, several children reported dead

Thaluikhain

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Whomever trained them - which at this point is looking weirdly like 'nobody' - should also bear the consequences of this colossal fuck up.
Wouldn't be surprised if it was nobody. Any police jurisdiction can get some cool looking black gear, give it to some officers and say they are SWAT now.
 
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Piscian

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Wouldn't be surprised if it was nobody. Any police jurisdiction can get some cool looking black gear, give it to some officers and say they are SWAT now.
Huh. Apparently there are 0 official requirements for SWAT. Thats depressing. Learn something new everyday.
 

Thaluikhain

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Huh. Apparently there are 0 official requirements for SWAT. Thats depressing. Learn something new everyday.
Well, some areas may or may not come up with requirements for jurisdictions within them, but there's no large scale standardisation or anything. IIRC, Los Angeles came up with their SWAT team first, making up the rules as they went along, it just turned out to be a good idea and others copied. Some departments might send an officer to be trained as SWAT by some other area that has a good reputation, and there's lots of ex-military or ex-police running private training for various groups, some police take those courses as private individuals, not officially.
 

TheMysteriousGX

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Hey, that's a good thing to ask: do other countries have any national standards at all for police training? 'Cause I'm pretty sure the US doesn't
 

Thaluikhain

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Hey, that's a good thing to ask: do other countries have any national standards at all for police training? 'Cause I'm pretty sure the US doesn't
I think each Australian State or Territory run their own similar, but not quite the same, training at one facility per State/Territory.

The Australian Federal Police are a bit different, though they aren't normal police.
 
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Chimpzy

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Bullet dodged? Also kind of depressing that a church has a security team, or even just that they feel they need one.
 
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Cheetodust

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Hey, that's a good thing to ask: do other countries have any national standards at all for police training? 'Cause I'm pretty sure the US doesn't
It honestly freaked me the fuck out when I found out America doesn't. Like seems like the writing has always been on the wall. Like all cops are bastards but US police are a violent poorly regulated militia that are closer to the fucking Taliban than any developed country's police force.
 
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Gordon_4

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Hey, that's a good thing to ask: do other countries have any national standards at all for police training? 'Cause I'm pretty sure the US doesn't
Australian police forces are trained on a state and territory basis, each run through a police college. On average it takes one year - though I think Victoria is eighteen months - to become a probationary constable.

Likewise joining a state or territory police tactical unit has requirements. For example the AFP (our FBI) requires at minimum two years of sworn policing duties be undertaken before someone is allowed to apply to join Specialist Response Group; after applying they go through, and I quote, “psychological, psychometric and physical fitness testing. Applicants must also complete an integrity assessment, security clearance, panel interview and a medical examination.”

After that, if they pass, are sent on the actual selection course. Now the individual nuances of these tend to vary, but it’s worth noting that all police tactical units undertake training every year with both the Special Air Service Regiment and 2nd Commando Regiment on certain aspects of their skill sets: mainly breaching, sniping, and close quarter combat.
 

Lykosia

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Hey, that's a good thing to ask: do other countries have any national standards at all for police training? 'Cause I'm pretty sure the US doesn't
Finnish police basic training lasts for 3 years. Requirements are high school or vocational school education. Good health, eye sight and hearing. No criminal record or under on going investigation. Finnish citizen. Drivers license.

There's also an entry exam with psychological and fitness tests. A writing exam. An interview. And some group work tests.
 
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Thaluikhain

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After that, if they pass, are sent on the actual selection course. Now the individual nuances of these tend to vary, but it’s worth noting that all police tactical units undertake training every year with both the Special Air Service Regiment and 2nd Commando Regiment on certain aspects of their skill sets: mainly breaching, sniping, and close quarter combat.
Random bit of trivia, in NSW, apparently some of that training is done at the site of the former Lithgow Small Arms Factory. Its more or less abandoned after Howard sold Australian arms manufacturing out to Thales, and they can't develop it because of concerns about what chemicals were used, so just past where the museum is is a bunch of old building nobody minds being flashbanged.
 

Cheetodust

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Finnish police basic training lasts for 3 years. Requirements are high school or vocational school education. Good health, eye sight and hearing. No criminal record or under on going investigation. Finnish citizen. Drivers license.

There's also an entry exam with psychological and fitness tests. A writing exam. An interview. And some group work tests.
Ireland has 2 years training and most our cops don't have guns. And an in depth vetting process. I know someone whose boyfriend was applying for the Gardai and they looked into her immediate family for any criminal history too. You'll also be stationed away from your hometown. Still fucking rampant with corruption mind you. But considering that even our ostensibly well regulated police force is rotten to the core it amazes me that anyone can think the US cops can be trusted with anything.
 
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BrawlMan

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I was curious to read that the Uvalde police chief has reported that he didn't think he was in charge of the siege. I mean, officially in charge, not that he just wasn't able to control the situation, although he most certainly wasn't able to do that either if he didn't take charge. Plus he left his police radio behind when he went into the school because something something it would get in the way something and effectively lost crucial ability to communicate with police officers.

So... who else did he think would be in charge? As the senior officer on site, how could he not assume it's his job until a superior officer arrived and relieved him? How the hell could he not realise that he needed to be running the show, rather than trying out to see if keys would open doors, which even the most half-witted copper could do?
Another pussy and a biatch-in-a-boxstand put in charge.
 

BrawlMan

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Bullet dodged? Also kind of depressing that a church has a security team, or even just that they feel they need one.
My old church in Detroit had a security team since the early 80s. Some of thieves tried to break in to the church, and this happened more than once. The security has been there before either my brother and I were born. After that security, the church rarely had any trouble.
 

Chimpzy

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My old church in Detroit had a security team since the early 80s. Some of thieves tried to break in to the church, and this happened more than once. The security has been there before either my brother and I were born. After that security, the church rarely had any trouble.
See, that comes across as so weird to me as a European. It's not that churches, cathedrals and/or monasteries here on the old continent don't have security, they do, but actual security guards is mostly limited to the ones that are tourist spots and/or contain historically important artefacts and art, and they're more there to stop vandalism and theft. Your bog standard local church tho has more passive security, like cameras and alarms, at best. There's one on the corner of my street, used by an evangelical congregation, and I'd be surprised if that has security more stringent than a lock on the door.
 
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Agema

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See, that comes across as so weird to me as a European. It's not that churches, cathedrals and/or monasteries here on the old continent don't have security, they do, but actual security guards is mostly limited to the ones that are tourist spots and/or contain historically important artefacts and art, and they're more there to stop vandalism and theft. Your bog standard local church tho has more passive security, like cameras and alarms, at best. There's one on the corner of my street, used by an evangelical congregation, and I'd be surprised if that has security more stringent than a lock on the door.
Reminds me of Venice. I swear it's like every second church has a Titian, and nary a guard I recall seeing.

Although, of course, making a getaway from Venice may be a little harder than it is from most cities.
 

RhombusHatesYou

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Oh yes, that disgraceful nonsense. Is that still before a tribunal or court? I haven't heard anything recently.
'That' makes it sound like there was only one incident. All the incidents covered by the Brereton Inquiry have more or less been swept under whatever rugs were laying around. Government wanted quick, simple solutions such as chucking a few low ranked personnel under the bus not a wholesale examination of the cultures and RoEs of the units involved.

Only the 2 alleged incidents involving Ben Roberts-Smith are still getting oxygen and that's because he's suing national media outlets.