Organization Readness

Both the West Freeway Church of Christ and Rabbi Rottenberg’s Shul provide insight to organizational self protection.

For whatever reason Rabbi Rottenberg’s Shul seems more closed mouth and the usual media frenzy isn’t reported.  

Based on the news media reporting it is also clear that the West Freeway Church of Christ, in fact any organization, needs a media spokesperson. 

That sounds like spin doctoring, controlling the narrative and it is to some extent.  You want to release the facts in a cohesive manner to reduce misinformation and panic.  You also want to, just as lawyers do for witnesses in court, prepare your people for the almost obligatory media feeding frenzy.

The West Freeway Church story is being spun in the press and electronic media like a whirling dervish.  Texas law now allows carrying a firearm in churches.  One opinion piece plays down the saving of lives and uses the dead to illustrate why more gun control is needed.  A Facebook post points out how Dickless’s death in addition to the deaths of the two church members will be added to the gun violence total the anti-gun faction likes to present.  And you can be assured this rodeo still has more to go.

If there was a tactical message I would suggest the following:

The total time from Dickless revealing his shotgun to the shot that ended the conflict was SIX seconds.  Things happen fast.  If you don’t have your tools on you, you will not have a chance to get them. 

Based on news reports, my friend Larry, a competent and active shooter, ran himself through several 40 ft. head shots and reports it’s not as easy as the internet’s trolls report.   Practice improves performance was his second message.

Do I believe an armed, prepared member of  Rottenberg’s synagogue would have made a difference? Yes! See the West Freeway Church of Christ story. 

It’s not Christianity that made the difference, it was a good guy with a gun.  Violent criminal actors (VCAs) do not respect boundaries of common decency and belief.  They are assholes who are “…either sociopathically (doesn’t care about others given his own goals) orpsychopathically”  

There can be no reasoning with them during their acts of violence.  VCAs can only be stopped with force, that being force of arms or physical barriers. If you are unprepared, either mentally or physically you will not be able to defend yourself and others.

Your organization should be prepared for claims that the VCA is a victim who desperately needed, but never received help.  The mentally defect claim is a textbook legal defense.  Part of that claim will be that your organization should have recognized the problem and taken steps to do ‘something.’  Not having done something, his lawyer will tell the jury, makes your organization partially responsible for what happened.  In a civil case this could make you liable for financial damages.

If you have a security organization, either paid or volunteer they need to practice in the facility they protect.  Some level of performance needs to be established for team members.  The second to the last thing you want are security personal who cannot perform under pressure on demand. 

Several basic operational plans, ranging from observe only, to engaging an active shooter need to be developed.  Some communication protocol needs to be in place.  Do you have a plan for what to do when the police arrive?

The members of the organization also need training and exposure to your plans.  They need to know to get down and stay down.  They need to know not to interfere with security during an active confrontation.  They need to know if their organization has armed security or not.

Providing both a spiritual and legal justification for self-defense for team members will help them overcome a normal reluctance to shooting a VCA.  This is also a message that can be spread to the members of your organization.

Ask the hard questions such as what is your organization's response if an adult attempts to remove a child from one of your activities and the child violently doesn’t want to go?  Somebody dressed in a heavy winter coat in July suddenly wants access to your building.  Someone grabs a hostage and with gun to their temple, insist that everyone move into an enclosed area.  You’ve got three seconds to put a plan into action. 

What do you got?