In the months following the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the Connecticut State Police (CSP) commenced the process of compiling an After Action Report to assess its response as a law enforcement agency to the active shooter situation that overtook Newtown and to identify opportunities to improve upon past practices. Feedback was solicited from dozens of individuals notably, responding troopers, agency support personnel, other state and local agencies, and family members of victims.
The many responses that we received guided the writing of the report released today. The CSP is committed to continuous improvement and to that end, we collected and considered the many ways to improve training and inform policy and procedures.
A number of the recommendations in this report have already been implemented, and others are in process. For example, one of the challenges noted in the report was the inability to communicate with other first responders due to limited cell capability. DESPP is working on behalf of the state to implement a broadband network for first responders, which will give priority and preemption for communication for first responders and emergency management during catastrophic incidents.
The Connecticut State Police will continue to strive towards excellence in all that it does and glean as much as it can from this tragedy and others occurring in the country and around the world.
Please click here to view the report.