Local officials discuss area’s safety needs in ‘Tribute to Law Enforcement’

Communication and preparation are two primary keys to addressing the area's public safety needs, according to local leaders speaking during the "Tribute to Law Enforcement" keynote event of the Collin College Policy Summit.

Allen Mayor Baine Brooks and Collin County Sheriff Jim Skinner stressed that cooperation is crucial while also touching on topics including fentanyl trafficking, new tactics and technology being used locally, the need for mental health assistance, and the public’s perception of law enforcement.

The May 6 Allen Premium Outlets mass shooting, when nine people were killed and seven injured, was close to mind for the panelists and moderator Dr. Neil Matkin, district president of Collin College. Brooks presented a video to the lunch program audience featuring interviews with police officers and firefighters from Allen recounting that day and the response by 18 area law enforcement agencies. All of the interviewees credited their training with a response that saved lives. Allen’s police and fire departments have trained individually and together for more than five years in preparation for a potential mass casualty event like the shooting.

Near the end of the video, Dr. Kevin Hoffman, medical director for the Allen Fire Department, praised the quick response and decision-making by the police and fire department, crediting their preparation with saving lives.

“If it wasn’t for their actions that day and the training they’d received in the past, I don’t think we’d have been as fortunate,” Dr. Hoffman said.

But while that tragedy served as a backdrop for the discussion, the panelists focused on the good things that came out of it – a community coming together and a reminder that law enforcement can work together to ensure a safer world.

“Law enforcement in North Texas has the best relationships of any law enforcement in the United States,” Skinner said. “And that was demonstrated here in Allen on May 6.”

Skinner went on to say that the sharing of intelligence and coordination among law enforcement agencies is vital to providing effective public safety. He said that, behind the scenes, the departments work together to ensure seamless coverage in areas like drug interdiction and emergency response. He noted two entities specifically – the North Texas Fusion Center and the Collin County Child Advocacy Center – as important parts of that communications infrastructure.

“When you create silos in law enforcement, the crooks will exploit you very quickly,” Skinner said.

Both Brooks and Skinner agreed that communication between community members and law enforcement is also essential. It can be difficult, they said, for people outside of law enforcement to truly understand its role and why it is important to support those agencies.

Brooks said that ensuring the best outcomes for public safety starts with hiring the best candidates. He said Allen is addressing that by keeping pay competitive, encouraging lateral entry into Allen PD’s ranks from other departments, and creating a culture where officers want to come to the city.

“I feel that, in Allen, the culture is a big part of what we are doing right,” Brooks said. “And it starts with the leadership.”

View the entire conversation here. For more information about the 2023 Collin Leadership Policy Summit, visit www.collin.edu/policysummit/.