Letter to the Editor: Emergency Response Team partnered with local schools to conduct training

The Quincy Police Department Emergency Response Team conducted more than 35 hours of training during the past several months in various Quincy public and parochial school buildings.

The Emergency Response Team is a secondary/specialized SWAT team of officers assigned to all four patrol shifts, investigations and the housing officer.

The team trained with Gallowglass Guardian Group’s CEO Trey Lindsey, who served 20 years in the U.S. Navy and retired from the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, known as SEAL Team Six. Lindsey began the training cycle in February at QND with room entry/clearance and active threat training. The ERT operators trained with Lindsey five times, adopting tactics and techniques into the regular training program.

The Quincy Police Department is dedicated to serving the Quincy community through continued training with professional instructors. We want to thank the Quincy public and parochial schools for graciously hosting these trainings. Parents, grandparents and loved ones of school-age children in Quincy, please know that local education leaders have welcomed the Quincy Police Department into their facilities for decades, and we value our continued partnerships as we work together to keep your children safe.

We appreciate the school administrators, security personnel, custodians, parents and students for their support, with a special thank you to the coaches, athletes and parents who were dropping off/picking up their athletes as we were gearing up in the parking lot. The Quincy Police Department, including the ERT, will continue to train for the worst so our community can operate at its best.

Sgt. Robert Megee 
ERT Assistant Team Leader
Quincy, Illinois