Agencies talk officer safety in wake of violence against law enforcement

GIBSON COUNTY, Tenn. — A gunman shot and killed two Iowa police officers Wednesday in an ambush-style attack, according to police. Local law enforcement said they are taking steps to protect officers in West Tennessee.

“Don’t take any calls lightly,” Gibson County Sheriff Paul Thomas said. “Nothing is routine anymore.”

Investigators said the officers in Iowa were gunned down while sitting in their patrol cars. Thomas said it is becoming the norm. “Every morning you turn the news on you’re hearing about an officer being attacked,” he said.

In an effort to protect his deputies, Thomas said his department recently switched from eight-hour to 12-hour shifts. “By doing that we’ve almost doubled the personnel that we’ve got on the street at any given time,” he said.

Thomas said he also budgeted more money for firearms and deputy safety training. “Provide my deputies with the tools they need,” he said. “Give them the training they need and hope if a time ever comes, that they make the right decisions.”

The Jackson Police Department said it encourages its officers to always be conscious of their surroundings. “This is a challenge, but with prayer and a (community working together) in an effort of keeping each other safe, we stand a better chance of preventing tragic incidents such as the one in Iowa,” Jackson Police Department Public Information Officer Lt. Derick Tisdale said in a statement.

Thomas said he believes law enforcement officers have the people’s best interest at heart. “The majority of law enforcement, the ones that I work with, the ones that I’ve worked with for 23 years, honestly and truly want to help people and want to do the right thing,” he said.