By Laura Crimaldi
Boston Herald
BOSTON — Boston police and hospital security staff are considering plans to link their radio communications and to conduct training for “active shooter’’ scenarios after a psychiatric patient was shot dead last week at a doctor’s office.
Security directors from 18 hospitals met yesterday at Boston police headquarters to discuss security, intelligence sharing and other issues facing hospital safety personnel, said police Superintendent in Chief Daniel Linskey.
Linskey said police want to improve radio communications between law enforcement and hospital security personnel and hold drills to simulate an active shooter scenario in a hospital setting.
He also said hospital security personnel have to be mindful of helping police preserve evidence and identify witnesses in situations where crime victims show up for treatment or violence erupts at the hospital.
The session was set up after a person was stabbed in an emergency waiting room at Boston Medical Center on Oct. 25, but became more urgent after Jay Carciero, 37, was shot dead while stabbing Dr. Astrid Desrosiers at a Massachusetts General Hospital office a few days later. “I think the hospitals are in a good position to make sure staff and patients are safe,’' Linskey said. “As with everything, we can get better and deal with the one-in-a-million situations.’'
Bonnie S. Michelman, MGH’s director of police, security and outside services, said a consultant will examine its security operations in the wake of the attack on Desrosiers.
She said security at the Stanisford Street office where the attack took place is provided by Equity Residential and not MGH, which leases the space.
“We added some visiblity in some areas,’' she said. “People are a little fearful due to what happened.’'
MGH has been under the microscope because of the Desrosiers attack, a violent rape attempt in which Level 3 sex offender David Flavell faces charges, and the arrest of another Level 3 sex offender recently.
Crime figures reported by the hospital to the federal government show two robberies, 11 assaults, one burglary and five motor vehicle thefts there between 2006 and 2008. The hospital has a security staff of 160 officers.
Copyright 2009 Boston Herald