ENFIELD POLICE AT ROCKVILLE BANK


I was sitting in the middle of Rockville Bank on Enfield Street a couple of weeks ago talking with Branch Manager Bill Ragno, who also serves on the Enfield Town Council. All of a sudden the Enfield Police came in with guns in the ready position and began a search for a possible person with a gun somewhere in the bank.

They moved from room to room as they hugged close to the wall keeping an eye on every possible place a criminal could be hiding. The three Officers worked as a team as they cleared each area of the bank.

After securing the main level of the Bank they headed down stairs to make sure the perpetrator was not hiding in a back room or searching for another exit hoping to gain freedom.

Then as we watched the Enfield Police escorted a man in handcuffs out of the basement and up the stairs. As we observed this police action we were shocked to find that the handcuffs were on none other than Public Safety Director Chris Bromson.

All this was done to rehearse for the possibility of an “Active Shooter” the name of the training exercise in place by the Enfield Police to protect businesses, schools and the public as a whole. No, Mr. Bromson was not truly arrested, he was participating in the training operation, which was something special to observe.

At the same time the Police were training at the Enfield Federal Savings on the corner of Enfield Street and Elm. Being able to respond to two incidences at the same time was part of an over all plan to be able to protect two businesses as the same time.

Also seated with me in the Rockville Bank Branch was the Enfield Chief of Police, Carl Sferrazza, and District One Councilman Brian Peruta. All of us were impressed with the Enfield Police as they searched through the bank.

A few weeks ago I wrote about the “Active Shooter Program” and the goal of the preparing our Officers to handle an event that we hope never happens. Here is what the Chief of Police and Public Safety Director had to say about the program.
I asked Chief Sferrazza about the program called “Active Shooter.” Now that title may sound shocking, but it defines what the greatest nightmare for local law enforcement, which is a person in a public business or area shooting with the ultimate goal of leaving the highest body count.Both Chief Sferrazza and Mr. Bromson stated that hate crimes and terrorism have taken on a new look. In the 1970’s when someone hijacked a plane it was for the purpose of negotiating something in exchange for releasing the plane. Today they are used as flying bombs to create fear by the shock of the death toll. It used to be that someone would hold a business hostage where they may have been fired from in hopes of gaining their job back or bringing to the public the corruptness of that company. Today the fear is that people just want revenge and go out in a blaze of glory.

Chief Sferrazza also stated in the previous article “I never take a cavalier approach to the public safety” and “we keep reaching and reaching to do more for Enfield.”

I want to thank the Officers that trained at Rockville Bank and Enfield Federal Savings. With the natural instinct is to flee the hostile area, these men head into a dangerous situation, risking their own lives.

Many would say this kind of thing could never happen in our quiet town. However, if you think about it many of us have never heard of Columbine or knew what city Virginia Tech is located, but we do now.

We have one of the best-trained police departments around. In the future they will continue to train. I believe it is our responsibility to provide them the best technology and the best equipment. I am happy to say that the Town Council has been there along the way to make sure they have what they need.

Great job to all involved
Greg Stokes