Latest news with #TheUvaldeStrongAct
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Uvalde mayor's police training bill heads to Gov. Abbott's desk
The Brief A bill aimed at improving police training after the Uvalde school shooting has passed the Texas Senate. "The Uvalde Strong Act" would mandate annual active shooter response planning and enhanced school-specific officer training. The bill seeks to address issues identified in the delayed law enforcement response to the 2022 Robb Elementary attack. AUSTIN - A bill intended to fix some issues in police training that may have contributed to the 2022 Uvalde school shooting now awaits Gov. Greg Abbott's approval. HB 33, also called "The Uvalde Strong Act," filed by former Uvalde mayor and freshman Rep. Don McLaughlin Jr. (R-Uvalde), aims to better train officers and enhance agency coordination in hopes of preventing comparable shootings in the future. McLaughlin, who was mayor of Uvalde at the time of the attack and has been actively seeking change to law enforcement policy since, says the bill would correct problems with training that led to police hesitancy in the shooting. The bill would require officers and school officials to meet annually for active shooter response plan development. It also increases officer training specifically for school shooter responses at primary and secondary school campuses. The delayed law enforcement response to the May 24, 2022, shooting has been widely condemned as a massive failure: Nearly 400 officers waited more than 70 minutes before confronting the gunman in a classroom filled with dead and wounded children and teachers in the South Texas city of about 15,000 people, 80 miles west of San Antonio. What they're saying In a statement quoted by the Associated Press, McLaughlin said the following: "The Uvalde Strong Act is aimed at fixing the breakdowns in communication and coordination that were exposed in the Robb Elementary shooting," McLaughlin said. "This is about keeping our schools safer. ... We owe it to the families to take action that really matters." What's next The bill passed the Texas Senate on Monday. Abbott's signature is the last hurdle before the proposal becomes law. Two of the responding officers face multiple criminal charges of abandonment and endangerment. Former Uvalde school Police Chief Pete Arredondo and former school officer Adrian Gonzales have pleaded not guilty. According to the Associated Press, they are due for trial in October. The Source Information in this article came from the Associated Press, Texas Legislature Online, and previous Fox 7 reporting.
Hamilton Spectator
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Texas lawmakers OK former Uvalde mayor's effort to fix police failures in Robb Elementary attack
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas lawmakers on Monday passed a plan sponsored by Uvalde's former mayor to fix police failures laid bare by the hesitant law enforcement response to the Robb Elementary School shooting in 2022, sending the bill to the governor days ahead of the third anniversary of the massacre. Nineteen students and two teachers were killed and 18 people were injured in one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history. Saturday is the anniversary of the attack. The measure given final approval by the state Senate and sent to Gov. Greg Abbott is dubbed the 'The Uvalde Strong Act' and is meant to correct the problems in the slow and often chaotic law enforcement response that day with better training and coordination between agencies and basic equipment requirements. Nearly 400 local, state and federal officers waited more than an hour to force their way into a classroom where the gunman was before killing him. Terrified students inside the classroom called 911 as parents begged officers — some of whom could hear shots being fired while they stood in a hallway — to go in. The bill's author, first-year Republican state Rep. Don McLaughlin, was Uvalde mayor at the time and was critical of the law enforcement response that day. 'The Uvalde Strong Act is aimed at fixing the breakdowns in communication and coordination that were exposed in the Robb Elementary shooting,' McLaughlin said. 'This is about keeping our schools safer. ... We owe it to the families to take action that really matters.' The bill requires school districts and law enforcement to meet annually to develop active shooter response plans, and mandates officers be trained on how to respond to an active shooter at primary and secondary schools. The measure also requires enhanced incident command training and mutual aid agreements among agencies. School districts would be required to have at least one breaching tool and ballistic shield available at each campus. And the bill requires emergency medical service providers to file reports if they are called to an active shooter scene. Multiple investigations into the law enforcement response found cascading problems in training, communication, leadership and technology, and questioned whether officers prioritized their own lives over those of children and teachers. Former Uvalde school district police chief Pete Arredondo and former school police officer Adrian Gonzales have been charged with multiple counts of child endangerment and abandonment. Both have pleaded not guilty and are scheduled for trial in October. The families of the victims have several lawsuits pending in federal and state courts, including a $500 million lawsuit against Texas state police officials and officers.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas lawmakers OK former Uvalde mayor's effort to fix police failures in Robb Elementary attack
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas lawmakers on Monday passed a plan sponsored by Uvalde's former mayor to fix police failures laid bare by the hesitant law enforcement response to the Robb Elementary School shooting in 2022, sending the bill to the governor days ahead of the third anniversary of the massacre. Nineteen students and two teachers were killed and 18 people were injured in one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history. Saturday is the anniversary of the attack. The measure given final approval by the state Senate and sent to Gov. Greg Abbott is dubbed the 'The Uvalde Strong Act' and is meant to correct the problems in the slow and often chaotic law enforcement response that day with better training and coordination between agencies and basic equipment requirements. Nearly 400 local, state and federal officers waited more than an hour to force their way into a classroom where the gunman was before killing him. Terrified students inside the classroom called 911 as parents begged officers — some of whom could hear shots being fired while they stood in a hallway — to go in. The bill's author, first-year Republican state Rep. Don McLaughlin, was Uvalde mayor at the time and was critical of the law enforcement response that day. 'The Uvalde Strong Act is aimed at fixing the breakdowns in communication and coordination that were exposed in the Robb Elementary shooting,' McLaughlin said. 'This is about keeping our schools safer. ... We owe it to the families to take action that really matters.' The bill requires school districts and law enforcement to meet annually to develop active shooter response plans, and mandates officers be trained on how to respond to an active shooter at primary and secondary schools. The measure also requires enhanced incident command training and mutual aid agreements among agencies. School districts would be required to have at least one breaching tool and ballistic shield available at each campus. And the bill requires emergency medical service providers to file reports if they are called to an active shooter scene. Multiple investigations into the law enforcement response found cascading problems in training, communication, leadership and technology, and questioned whether officers prioritized their own lives over those of children and teachers. Former Uvalde school district police chief Pete Arredondo and former school police officer Adrian Gonzales have been charged with multiple counts of child endangerment and abandonment. Both have pleaded not guilty and are scheduled for trial in October. The families of the victims have several lawsuits pending in federal and state courts, including a $500 million lawsuit against Texas state police officials and officers.
Winnipeg Free Press
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Texas lawmakers OK former Uvalde mayor's effort to fix police failures in Robb Elementary attack
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas lawmakers on Monday passed a plan sponsored by Uvalde's former mayor to fix police failures laid bare by the hesitant law enforcement response to the Robb Elementary School shooting in 2022, sending the bill to the governor days ahead of the third anniversary of the massacre. Nineteen students and two teachers were killed and 18 people were injured in one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history. Saturday is the anniversary of the attack. The measure given final approval by the state Senate and sent to Gov. Greg Abbott is dubbed the 'The Uvalde Strong Act' and is meant to correct the problems in the slow and often chaotic law enforcement response that day with better training and coordination between agencies and basic equipment requirements. Nearly 400 local, state and federal officers waited more than an hour to force their way into a classroom where the gunman was before killing him. Terrified students inside the classroom called 911 as parents begged officers — some of whom could hear shots being fired while they stood in a hallway — to go in. The bill's author, first-year Republican state Rep. Don McLaughlin, was Uvalde mayor at the time and was critical of the law enforcement response that day. 'The Uvalde Strong Act is aimed at fixing the breakdowns in communication and coordination that were exposed in the Robb Elementary shooting,' McLaughlin said. 'This is about keeping our schools safer. … We owe it to the families to take action that really matters.' The bill requires school districts and law enforcement to meet annually to develop active shooter response plans, and mandates officers be trained on how to respond to an active shooter at primary and secondary schools. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The measure also requires enhanced incident command training and mutual aid agreements among agencies. School districts would be required to have at least one breaching tool and ballistic shield available at each campus. And the bill requires emergency medical service providers to file reports if they are called to an active shooter scene. Multiple investigations into the law enforcement response found cascading problems in training, communication, leadership and technology, and questioned whether officers prioritized their own lives over those of children and teachers. Former Uvalde school district police chief Pete Arredondo and former school police officer Adrian Gonzales have been charged with multiple counts of child endangerment and abandonment. Both have pleaded not guilty and are scheduled for trial in October. The families of the victims have several lawsuits pending in federal and state courts, including a $500 million lawsuit against Texas state police officials and officers.
