Current Events > Vermont cops terrified high schoolers with mock shooting

(+) Yeah! (+)

While teaching a class to high school students on Wednesday, Burlington police officers staged a surprise demonstration in which a masked gunman burst into the room and pretended to open fire.

The simulation, which occurred at the Burlington police station, was meant to show the unreliability of witness statements. But the lack of warning and the loud gunshot sounds sent students diving for cover in fear for their lives.

In response, the Burlington School District apologized to parents and offered counseling services. The Burlington Police Department, meanwhile, issued a statement on Thursday afternoon apologizing to any students who were upset by the specific scenario and crime scene portion of the presentation.
The roll-playing [sic] scenario only involved three department personnel simulating a robbery scenario and was not directed at any students or faculty, the statement said.

Students and parents who spoke with Seven Days expressed shock and outrage, saying the demonstration played on the fears of students who have grown up amid a nationwide increase in violence at schools.

Im baffled, said one mother, who asked to remain anonymous to protect her daughters identity. It is a very real threat to kids these days to have a school shooting. Its something they worry about.

The incident unfolded during a forensics class offered through Burlington High Schools annual year-end studies program. The roughly 20 students in attendance were told that they would tour the police department and see a presentation on how detectives solve crimes.

Two students who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the class was facing the front of the room listening to a detective speak when they heard screams from behind them. Two women ran in, the students said, followed by a man wearing a ski mask who was holding a gun. Then gunshot sounds rang out.

One of the students said she dove on the floor, scraping her knee. The other said she scrambled to find her phone so that she could text her mother.

Im shaking and crying because I'm like, Oh my god, I'm gonna get shot, she said. It felt so real.

The students realized it was fake only after noticing that the cops in the room had done nothing to stop the pretend shooter, they said. [Antifar's note: no that seems realistic]

Burlington School District officials confirmed the demonstration occurred, saying in a statement to Seven Days on Thursday morning that teachers knew officers might demonstrate a gunshot-related crime but not that it would happen without warning.

In an email to parents on Wednesday afternoon obtained by Seven Days, teachers said officers told them that they'd previously used the lesson with college students and adults, and that they wanted the event to be as realistic as possible.

The detectives did apologize after they realized that the reenactment did not translate well to high school students, the teachers wrote.

Wtf. If you're going to fake a shooting, at least warn the students first. Who thought it was a good idea to do this without warning?

The simulation, which occurred at the Burlington police station, was meant to show the unreliability of witness statements.

normally I think it would defeat the entire purpose of the drills to tell the kids ahead of time, but I also dont think any drills actually have someone come in shooting blanks to make it sound like actual gunshots. You dont warn people ahead of time when you do a fire drill either.

plus this wasnt even at school.

Every school and workplace I've been in absolutely warns you before fire drills and earthquake drills. Why would they need to make those a surprise?

Wtf. If you're going to fake a shooting, at least warn the students first. Who thought it was a good idea to do this without warning?

...because if a real fire or earthquake happens you're not going to know ahead of time?

when I was a kid we were never told ahead of time before fire drills in school. they haven't warned everyone ahead of time at my workplaces in the last 20 years either.

1. It helps verify that everyone knows the correct procedures to do during an actual emergency without stressing them out so much that they don't remember any of it.
2. If no drills are ever announced, people will get conditioned to think that every alarm is just another drill and not take it seriously.

I believe they should be announced ahead of time for 2 reasons:
1. It helps verify that everyone knows the correct procedures to do during an actual emergency without stressing them out so much that they don't remember any of it.
2. If no drills are ever announced, people will get conditioned to think that every alarm is just another drill and not take it seriously.

1. And what happens when there's a real emergency that they weren't warned about ahead of time? they'll be even more likely to panic and fuck things up. The whole point of a drill is to review how things went afterwards, so you can correct people.
2. This isn't a problem if people are actually doing things correctly during the drills.

and maybe if we don't want to traumatize children we should do something about guns and mass shootings?

...because if a real fire or earthquake happens you're not going to know ahead of time?

when I was a kid we were never told ahead of time before fire drills in school. they haven't warned everyone ahead of time at my workplaces in the last 20 years either.

And what happens when there's a real emergency that they weren't warned about ahead of time? they'll be even more likely to panic and fuck things up. The whole point of a drill is to review how things went afterwards, so you can correct people.

I can't think of a time in the last 20 when I wasn't warned of a drill ahead of time.

That's the entire point of the drill in the first place. Adding the element of surprise to the drill doesn't do anything.

yes, it does.

That part we agree on. Unfortunately there's always a ton of pushback on gun laws. Not sure how we can make progress without Democrats holding the majority vote at all levels

Really doesnt though if anything it makes the drill worse by default.

really, how so?

I'm pretty sure this is considered terrorism.

Because that sort of surprise drill is obviously going to lead to not only paInc but potentially could lead to injuries for the people working the drill and the participants. I mean you dont do a surprise fire drill with smoke for a reason.

So... The cops ran a test run of how to shoot up a classroom under the guise of safety training the students and staff. Got it.

ok and what do you think will happen in a real emergency that's not announced ahead of time?

and yeah, we've all seen that Office episode. I specifically said this sort of drill should not be done outside of school or with real sounding fake gunshots.

I specifically said this sort of drill should not be done outside of school or with real sounding fake gunshots.

Panic but at least you arent causing pants shitting terror..