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HANOVER TWP. — What would you do if someone was shooting at people inside a building you were in?
“Nobody wants to think about this happening in our schools, at the Mohegan Sun Arena, in our community. But can happen here, and we must be prepared,” said Darlene Davis, president of the Hanover Township Crime Watch.
That sentiment, albeit sad but true, was the reason Davis felt that the community should be prepared for the worst case scenario at all costs.
in place of the regular crime watch meeting, Davis arranged for Daniel Minor, a 27-year police veteran of the Capitol Police Force in Harrisburg, to speak Wednesday night on how to be prepared in the event of an active shooter.
With over 80 attendees filling the auditorium at Hanover Area High School, Davis was pleased with the community response, but also sobered by the reality of the seminar’s necessity.
“You hear about it in the news all the time – colleges, playgrounds, schools,” Davis began. “It’s a good thing for people to know and important for them to be prepared. This can happen anywhere.”
Davis attended Minor’s seminar in Wilkes-Barre city a few months prior on the same topic and felt it needed to be shared with her community of Hanover Township.
“I arranged it with Mr. Minor on a Wednesday evening, originally at the time the crime watch usually meets, however we decided to open this to the public since they are the ones who truly need to hear this information,” she added.
The crime watch, along with assistance from the Hanover Township Police Department and permission from the Hanover Area School District, hosted the event from 7 to 9 p.m. to a very eager audience.
“This is extremely relevant information, especially in today’s day and age,” said Hanover Township Police Chief Al Walker. “We are here to support the efforts of the crime watch, since they always are there to support us.”
Minor has been holding the seminars to prepare the public against the threat of active shooters for many years now.
Originally from West Hazleton, Minor was the former police chief of Freeland borough for many years, moving up to Harrisburg a decade ago as part of the Capitol Police Force. He has served as a DARE officer, on the Luzerne County Drug Task Force and, more recently, on the drug task force in the state capitol.
Minor’s seminar had one simple, overarching theme: Trust your instincts.
“In my 27 years as a police officer, if there is one lesson I can pass on – trust your instincts,” said Minor. “It’s the most important thing you have.”
Minor went on to discuss the events surrounding major mass shootings, such as those in Columbine High School, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook and more.
He informed the crowd of what goes on in the mind of a shooter, as well as the five-step phases that occur in the planning and preparation in a mass shooting event.
“When it comes down to it,” said Minor, “you have three responses: run, hide, or fight. Run means find a safe escape plan. Hide means secure your area and remain safely out of sight. Finally, fight means to work together to outnumber and take down the assailant if you cannot safely do either of the other options.”
Audience members appeared grateful for the seminar and the knowledge Minor shared with them.
“We live in Hanover Township and my daughter heard about this at her elementary school, Lee Park,” said Sheila Arroyo, of Hanover Village, with her two young children in tow. “We just want to be prepared.”
