KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- A report analyzing the police response to the Feb. 2016 mass shooting in Kalamazoo says law enforcement officials responded with "bravery, dedication and professionalism" and that their actions "saved lives."
The report titled "Managing the Response to a Mobile Mass Shooting" was released Friday by The Police Foundation. It looked at a variety of things, including how officials disseminated information to the public as the situation was developing and how the various agencies worked together.
Six people were killed and two others were injured Feb. 20, 2016 in the string of shootings in the Kalamazoo area. The accused shooter, Jason Dalton, allegedly carried out the killings in between driving passengers for Uber.
Overall, the report says that police led a successful response to the situation. However, they also say there were some things that could be improved.
The group found that dispatch agencies can't receive text messages, emails or videos, something they say may have helped track the suspect down quicker. It also says that there was no dedicated Public Information Officer for the county prosecutor's office or Kalamazoo Public Safety, which meant a lack of coordinated details being spread between agencies.
The report also found some agency personnel were unable to take advantage of wellness and mental health services following the shootings, either because they weren't aware of them or had some other aspect of their job that kept them busy and unavailable at the time.
