CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — With close to 30 people having lost their lives to mass shootings in Texas in the month of August, area law enforcement agencies like the Corpus Christi Police Department have been searching for ways to keep the public safe.
While doing so, many are calling for tougher gun control, better background checks and more mental health assistance for those who need it.
"You know in this day and age, trying to anticipate something is the most significant part alright," CCPD Operations Deputy Chief Chris White said. "It's the most important part."
White supervises close to 300 officers out in the field, so when it comes to protecting the public, the training and preparation for a worst-case senario never cease.
"If it does happen, it's going to happen like that," White said. "How do you go from being officer friendly in the field, making a daily contact with our citizens, to flipping that switch and having to go in and neutralize a threat?"
That is where law enforcement training kicks in, but agents said there's a certain amount of responsibility that lies squarely on the public.
"We're in a different time," Department of Public Safety Sgt. Nathan Brandley said. "A different era."
Brandley said there are things we need to do protect ourselves.
"When you're out there you just need to be more vigilant," Brandley said. "You need to be more aware of your surroundings, and if something looks out of place or looks odd, it might be; and you know, report it."
Recent statistics from the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center said there were 27 mass attacks that harmed at least three people in the U.S. collectively, 91 people were killed, and 107 others were injured in places like schools, workplaces and other public areas. While most were motivated by a grievance, only a small number, two-thirds of attackers that year, had a history of exhibiting mental illness.
"There's a lot more factors that go into mass shooting events than just mental illness or mental health matters," Forensic Psychologist Dr. Troy Martinez said.
Martinez has testified in numerous criminal trials over the last 20 years where he has evaluated the mental state of a defendant. He cites FBI studies on mental health and mass shootings that show the two aren't always connected.
"I don't think that it's fair to the mental health field or population to just focus on that as being a primary culprit to mass shooting events," Martinez said.
While it may seem with each mass shooting we lose some of the freedoms we once enjoyed, law enforcement experts say not necessarily. Just be more alert of your surroundings, know where the exits are, and be vigilant.
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