University Police Department officers, Muncie Police Department officers and members of the Delaware County Sheriff's Department came together to undergo possible scenarios to effectively respond to any sudden threats.
The training exercises are an extension of training the teams went through on Monday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The scenarios were based on the history of active shooter situations in buildings and they are practiced in order to develop a strategic plan.
The concentration Tuesday included practicing approaching a building, entering a building and encountering threats within a building.
David Bell, UPD training and special events coordinator, said inner operability is a main goal of the agencies.
"We usually get together at least once a year, all the agencies in Muncie and Delaware County," he said. "We like to train and have inner operability where we have a really good working relation with each other, we know each other by name and face."
Bell began his position as Ball State's training coordinator in 2006, and the agencies have worked together ever since. The training became more extensive after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and with the school shootings in the early ‘90s.
The team practiced moving and shooting drills, vehicle assaults and practiced as teams shooting at various targets.
Along for the scenarios was a K-9 unit. Bell discussed the importance of including a dog especially during tactile operations.
"In the team concept of tactile operations, having a dog is great. If you have someone who is running from you, they're going to catch them a lot quicker than I will. They're great at detecting drugs, explosives and to not include them in tactile operations is foolish," he said. "It's another asset and the goal in any tactile operation is life preservation. If a dog can help, I want him there."
Bell said he is a supporter of the second amendment, but he also supports the rule of not carrying guns on campus as a representative of Ball State.
"People carrying guns into situations, there's already one gunman, so when police arrive on a situation, we have that one gunman to worry about," he said. "If more guns are added, I don't think it helps the situation, it hurts it."
If faced by a harsh threat, Bell has faith in his team.
"Ball State community, as the training coordinator of police department, I would like them to know that they have a very highly trained police department," he said. "All of the officers get an extensive amount of training hours, well over 100 hours of training a year."
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