LUPD hosts crime prevention session; speaker shares firsthand experience responding to Florida school shooting

The Liberty University Police Department welcomed Capt. Gerald Irwin of the Coral Springs Police Department, located just south of Parkland, Fla., to campus on Friday to share the policies, training, and operational response tactics that were effective during the tragic Majory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018 that left 17 dead and multiple injured.

Departments from Virginia Tech, Old Dominion University, Longwood University, as well as representatives from a variety of private and public schools attended the conference to learn about Irwin’s experience as well as the experiences of others who traversed such a disastrous ordeal.

“We had a really great turnout for information that we genuinely believe can save lives,” said Officer Kate Edwards, crime prevention technician for LUPD.

Irwin, who has worked at the Coral Springs Police Department for 26 years, outlined the obstacles that first responders and officers faced during the foreboding moments of the Stoneman Douglas shooting. He also listed aftermath procedures and reviewed the importance of mental health services during a time of crisis.

“I wanted to go over lessons learned from any type of critical incident,” said Irwin. “I want all stakeholders that would be involved in a situation like this to learn from us, learn from our mistakes, learn what we did right and what we did wrong, and develop plans and policies to mitigate these types of circumstances.”

“Unfortunately, there probably will be another school shooting somewhere,” he added. “But I want people to have the ability to respond better.”

Irwin has assumed multiple roles during his tenure — from patrol officer to captain. He received the rank of sergeant in 2009 and lieutenant in 2017. Four Administrative Service Commendations, two Exceptional Police Initiative Commendations, and six Team Citations decorate his extensive career in law enforcement. He said he enjoyed his visit to Liberty’s campus.

“I love Liberty University,” he said. “I think Liberty is such a phenomenal school. … It has a phenomenal reputation, it’s a beautiful campus, and the students that I met were great. I like everything about it.”

Sgt. Jeff Hurtak, who leads Liberty’s Crime Prevention Division, said Irwin’s eagerness to teach agencies about crime prevention greatly honors the 17 MSD victims.

“Today’s presentation is something that affects everyone,” Hurtak said. “Irwin gave us the bigger picture. He didn’t just show us videos. … He let us know who these kids were, he’s letting us know who these officers were. I think we can honor them even more now — more than just a picture on a TV. … For me and this Liberty community, Irwin has been a Godsend. He is doing this because he, his chief, and his department want to go out there and educate. For us at Liberty University and our team, his presentation was eye opening.”

Irwin’s visit was coordinated by LUPD’s Crime Prevention Division, which exists to educate and inform the Liberty community on all aspects of safety, ranging from self-defense to protecting private property. Its main objective is to make connections with the community, build awareness, and give all members the resources they need to better protect themselves in the event of an emergency.

In the wake of Friday’s presentation, LUPD launched an Active Assailant Community Preparedness Course (AACP), an online training class that will teach Liberty students, faculty, and staff situational awareness and personal preparedness, including how to implement the “Run Hide Fight” model and follow general safety tips to help in various emergency scenarios.