Ed Note: Two weeks ago, less than a dozen militants held at bay some 800 well-trained police for 60 hours, throwing a major metropolitan area into utter chaos, and leaving law enforcement officers around the globe thinking: “What will we do when this happens on our watch?”
Police1 has collected the thoughts of several people in law enforcement with the purpose of kick-starting a dialog about how the events in Mumbai provide an opportunity to consider the nature of the threat we may one day face here in the U.S. We encourage you to read the opinions and analysis here and to participate in this discussion.
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Counterterrorism on the front lines
On November 26, 2008, terrorists launched a multi-faceted, well-coordinated, military-style attack against ten civilian targets, killing approximately 183 and wounding 324 in the 60-hour running gun battle.
It could have been worse. The attackers wanted to kill 5,000 people.
Some of the battle grounds were places hard to pronounce like The Taj Mahal Hotel, Chattrapaddi Shivaji Terminus Station, the Narimon House Hotel, The Oberoi Hotel, and sadly one easy to pronounce, the Jewish Center. Indian authorities brought 800 “commandos” to bear on the terrorists. They were eventually able to capture one terrorist and kill the rest. They rescued more than 600 potential victims from multiple locations. Every police officer and police administrator in the United States, watching the drama unfold asked, “Could it happen here?” and “What would I do if it happens here?”
 In November 2006, Lt. Dan Marcou retired from the La Crosse, (Wisc.) Police Department, where served as a Tactical Operator, Team Leader, and Officer in Charge of the La Crosse PD Emergency Response Team. Dan is author of the outstanding novel S.W.A.T.: Blue Knights in Black Armor, which is available through Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com. |
The answer to the first question is yes. It has been happening here. They’re called active shooters. However, these were teams of trained and well equipped active shooters.
What do we know about the Mumbai attack?
1. It was a homicidal suicide mission.
2. The attackers were armed with grenades and AK 47s and pistols.
3. They stood and fought.
4. They were vulnerable to head and pelvic girdle “pocket” shots.
5. They were separated in small groups rather than operating as individuals.
6. They were not as interested taking live hostages as leaving dead victims.
7. They are believed to be radical Muslims.
8. Targets were hotels, transportation, and a Jewish religious center.
9. They were well trained.
10. Some came days early and registered at the hotel.
11. Some came ashore on rafts at 8:10 AM on the day of the attacks after hijacking a ship and killing its Captain.
12. The landing was called in by citizens and the call did not trigger a serious police response.
13. The attacks were timed, coordinated, military strikes against civilians.
14. They wanted to create as much chaos and death and mayhem as possible.
15. The incident lasted 60 hours.
What questions should we in law enforcement ask in the wake of Mumbai?
Police Administrators
Call-out Protocol – Look to your policy to determine what the existing protocol is for a major call-up of your personnel and available mutual aid. What is the protocol for a FBI, or National Guard response and how long would it take them to get to you?
Equipment – Does your personnel have access to Tactical Rifles, Kevlar helmets, gas masks, vests and shields? Do they know how to use them? Where is the extra ammunition kept at your department? Who has training and authorization to utilize tear gas and where is it kept? What kind of special munitions are available in the worst case scenario? Are the munitions outdated? Do you have a Bearcat type personnel carrier available to your agency? What is the quick response protocol for it? Would your personnel be required to take only a handgun and shotgun and inadequate protective equipment and training into this battle?
Training – Are you an administrator who gives your officers the bare minimum of training each year? Often tactical training will not even be included in this because it is not a mandated topic. Now is the is time for us to train often, train hard, train basic, train advanced, train general, train specific and train together! Cut budgets somewhere else, but not here.
SWAT – The units that dug these people out and ended their reign of terror were specialized units. Do you have a team available? How many are on the team? Do you let them train regularly? Do you give all your personnel advanced tactical training?
Communication and Cooperation – When multiple agencies respond to one location in your jurisdiction can you talk to each other? It is no small detail, when the enemy can communicate with each other and the good guys can’t. Do you train with agencies in your area? Have you arranged and done large group exercises utilizing the incident command system in a practical exercise?
Media – Do you have rock solid agreements with the media to not show live action at tactical events? The media facilitated the terrorists at the Munich Olympics in 1972, using live feeds of tactical operation and they once again facilitated the terrorists in Mumbai with live feeds.
Police Officers
You may be the first to arrive. In Mumbai these terrorists engaged and outgunned the first responders. Even if multiple attacks were launched first responders will have a different perspective. You will have to prepare yourself to meet challenges in one incident at a time. Your concern will be one hall way, one room, one gunman or more, who lie in front of you to the left of you, to the right of you, above you below you, or even behind you.
You will have to make the decision to contact or contain. Your decision may require you to risk your life, to save lives. Can you shoot at him/her if you have to? (Train!) Can you hit him/her if you have to shoot at him/her? (Train!) Can you make an intelligent decision under the most stressful conditions imaginable? (Train!) Can you take a leadership role, where no leadership exists? (Train!)
Think about those fellow officers in Mumbai. We saw police officers lying dead at the train station in street clothes and no protective equipment. We saw officers armed only with handguns, holding the perimeter of a hotel infested with heavily armed terrorists.
Were those officers fully prepared? No, but they did what officers all over the world do, prepared or not. They courageously rode to the sound of the guns and risked, as well as gave their lives honorably to save others. It is the courage that beats in the noble hearts of nearly all police officers world-wide.
We now know what can happen by seeing what did happen. Was Mumbai a personal call to arms for you?
Prepare!
