Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va. —
In their mission to ensure the safety of the installation and local community, the 633rd Security Forces Squadron and the Hampton Police Department have joined forces to optimize training and support.
“We wanted to open up our resources to the Langley (633rd SFS) personnel”, said Lt. Scott Keller, Hampton Police Department academy director. “We also wanted to use assets that the military has available to them, like the weapons range they shoot at.”
Through shared assets such as the Virginia criminal information network provided by Hampton Police Department, security forces can perform background checks and run license plates for people coming through the visitor’s center.
Along with these shared assets Hampton Police Department brings valuable training opportunities like standardized field sobriety test, DUI procedures and radar training.
“Everyone comes from different backgrounds of law enforcement, we just integrate to become a stronger force,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Kelsey Corey, 633rd SFS trainer. “We learn from each other and that’s what makes it the best.”
Another example of cooperation between the two law-enforcement agencies is bike patrol training, which provides increased maneuverability during concerts and air shows with large amounts of traffic, thus providing more effective security.
According to Corey, being on the same platform puts them essentially on the same team, which makes joint training a crucial part of their readiness.
As first responders, both Hampton Police Department and 633rd SFS members need to be trained and ready to respond at a moment’s notice.
“In a real world scenario, like an active shooter, we’re obviously going to be the first-responders on scene and notify our emergency service team,” said Corey. “Due to the jurisdiction and being in Hampton, the police department is going to be notified as well and their first responders and designated marksmen will respond.”
Though the uniforms are different, through joint training, both departments can agree on the same goal and respond as one to different scenarios and emergencies. When the day comes to an end, the citizens of JBLE and Hampton can rest assured that the 633rd SFS and Hampton Police Department are prepared to serve and protect.