25 News sat down with McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara to see if his deputies meet the required active shooter training required by the state.
Those state requirements come after the Robb Elementary Shooting in Uvalde, Texas where officers waited 77 minutes to enter the classroom where a gunman held students hostage.
Sheriff McNamara told 25 News his deputies train more than the required limit and they train with Delta Forces.
Since Uvalde, the Texas legislature required all law enforcement officers to get at least 16 hours of active shooter training every two years.
Something Sheriff McNamara said they already do and more.
“We’re training all the time and far exceed minimums by the state,” Sheriff McNamara said.
They need the training.
So far this year, McLennan County has investigated 17 threats to life at local schools and made six arrests.
They train with Delta Force officers, the special operations force of the Army.
“We have had Delta Force operatives come down to train with our SWAT team at local schools—clearing schools and responding to active shooters. It’s been very good information coming from Delta Force to us,” Sheriff McNamara said.
After Uvalde, studies show 30% of those 116 responding officers who responded didn’t have active shooter training.
So Texas lawmakers changed that.
Now Texas and Michigan are the only two states that require active shooter training for all officers after the police academy.
Something that surprises Sheriff McNamara.
He said, “It’s something all states should do because it can happen anywhere at any time.”
