UVALDE, Texas — Uvalde's new police chief says the embattled department is undergoing training this month amid a slew of policy improvements meant to bolster law enforcement response to emergencies like the 2022 Robb Elementary shooting.
In a Facebook post, the Uvalde Police Department (UPD) shared its new policy as well as status updates for various action items, fulfilling a promise the city made in its recent settlement with Robb victims' families. The update policy marks the first updates in nine years for active shooter response.
Most immediately, the agency is providing Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training – or ALERRT – to all personnel, working with the Texas State University-based center that previously blasted the police response at Robb Elementary in a July 2022 report. UPD also worked with the Texas Police Chiefs Association in revising its policy.
Other upcoming efforts include sharing new mass casualty event policies with partner law enforcement agencies; conducting site visits of critical facilities and reviews of facility safety; and conducting multi-agency training exercises.
Nineteen children and two teachers were killed at Robb on May 24, 2022, when a gunman was inside the school for more than an hour.
UPD Chief Homer Delgado, appointed in April, says many of the changes are already underway and will be documented when all changes are complete. The policy updates and enhanced trainings are part of what Delgado called the “Guardian Initiative” to modernize Uvalde’s police force and improve performance.
"We aim to complete all phases and document them in our best practices files and personnel files," Delgado wrote in the Facebook post. "Our commitment is to align our professional culture and practices with our policies, ensuring the safety and security of our community."
See more on the new policy below:
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