Hanover Park police get $48,000 grant

The Hanover Park police department recently received a $48,000 U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance grant to conduct rapid deployment training for its officers.

The grant will help pay for training materials, officer overtime pay and new equipment such as shields.

Rapid deployment is a method employed by agencies across the country when responding to active shooters in schools, businesses and warehouses. Training covers techniques for moving police together as a unit, securing a building, negotiating with shooters and understanding the floor plans of local buildings.

This is the first time Hanover Park police have applied for and received the grant.

"It helps so that we can get our officers trained," said Deputy Chief Tom Cortese. "And it helps our budget so we can use our money for other police department programs. The grant is a big plus."

Rapid deployment techniques developed in response to the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colo., which have since been replicated at several U.S. schools and businesses. First responding officers in a shooting situation use the techniques to locate and neutralize a threat.

Police have never had to employ rapid deployment methods in Hanover Park, but officer training is an added safety layer in the event they are needed, Cortese said.

The Hanover Park police have conducted two rapid deployment trainings, one in 2008 and one in June. Both trainings were coordinated with Elgin Area School District U-46 officials and held at Hanover Park schools. Officers were better familiarized with the layout of the schools and devised plans for how to react in different shooting scenarios.

All Hanover Park police officers are trained in the latest rapid deployment techniques. The $48,000 grant will pay for costs associated with the June training and any future rapid deployment trainings.