Atlanta Police hold drill for tactical field officers

ATLANTA - The Atlanta Police Department has launched an initiative it believes will greatly expand officers capacity to respond and hopefully minimize a mass casualty event.

The effort began with an order from Mayor Kasim Reed who told his commanders it takes too long for the specially trained SWAT officers to get on a scene.

APD brass developed a tactical field officer program that is meant to supply all zones with officers who have mastered enough skills with weapons and lifesaving techniques to hopefully quash an incident of extreme violence.

And Deputy Chief Scott Kreher said they are incorporating aspects from the Las Vegas shooting into their drills. One example, he said, supervisors are instruction their pupils they have to expand areas they are trying to cover to scan up at tall buildings, as well as looking left and right.