How do cities and public prepare, respond to an Orlando-style shooting?
Cannery Row is a well-known destination for tourists. Thousands of people walk through here every day, but today, some couldn’t help but feel on edge after all that has happened in Orlando, Florida.
“You’re supposed to be having fun, you’re supposed to be letting loose and relaxing and just having a good time and just to know that the biggest mass shooting in U.S. history happened at a night club is absolutely terrifying,” said visitor Alissa Torres.
But Monterey Police don’t want people to walk in fear. Instead, they say to be prepared. The department recently put this video together where they teach people when to run, hide or fight if they’re ever face-to-face with a gunman.
“It’s a way to prepare for the unknown. If something bad were to happen, you have that in your mind. It becomes second nature so that you’re not on the fly trying to react to a situation,” said Lt. Marty Hart, Monterey Police Department.
Many businesses in Monterey say they will be evaluating their security protocols to ensure something like Orlando doesn’t happen here.
The Monterey Police Department says it’s currently working on future training videos, but encourages the public to watch the active shooter preparedness video currently on their website.
“We’re working on what to do in case something like this happens. We’re not doing anything to prevent it,” said Torres. “We talk about gun control. It becomes the topic of our Facebook feeds for a little bit and then that’s it. We let it pass and that’s the biggest issue right now. We need something to prevent this stuff. We don’t need something to control it when it happens. We need something to prevent it.”
ORIGINAL STORY: Are Central Coast cities prepared to deal with an Orlando-style mass shooting? KION’s Brandon Castillo asked Monterey Police and local business owners how they are responding to Sunday’s shooting. Watch tonight at 5 and 6 p.m. for important information you should know.
