Police officers standing guard with rifles used to be a rare sight. There wasn’t an everyday need for level III or above body armor (aka the solid plates strong enough to withstand a rifle round).

Mass shootings used to be an anomaly – now they are the norm. 

The idea of having a license to carry was left to the paranoid rednecks of the world; the ones who watch too much TV and get too excited over nothing.

But now, law enforcement agencies are having to issue patrol rifles to every officer on the streets. They are being forced to invest in level III or level IV body armor. Solid plate vests that officers can carry around in their cars and throw on in seconds.

It isn’t militarization of the police – it is necessity.

A staggering Fox News Research  statistic broke down mass shootings in America by decade since the 1940’s. With three years to go in the 2010’s decade, there have been more mass shootings than the 2000’s. And only 17 years into the 2000’s, the United States has had more mass shootings (18) than the previous six decades combined (14).

Mass shootings (8 or more killed) in U.S. by decade:
40s:1
50s:0
60s:1
70s:0
80s:6
90s:6
2000s:7
2010s:11
(via @FoxNewsResearch)

— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) October 2, 2017

No matter your belief on gun control it is vital that you understand that civilians are the new first line of defense when it comes to mass shootings.

It is now that individual with the license to carry who is responsible to put a stop to the violence and neutralize the threat.

On June 12, 2016, Omar Mateen opened fire killing 49 and wounding 58 in a night club in Orlando. Prior to Las Vegas this week, the Orlando shooting was the most deadly shooting in American history.

The fact is, condensed shootings are becoming the new threat. Prior to Aurora, Colorado active shooters engaged individuals who were more spread out. The Sandy Hook shooter targeted classrooms of tens of people – not open events with hundreds or thousands in attendance. The same can be seen with the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech.

However, this mass attack theme is not limited to the United States. It can be seen in Nice, France, when a cargo truck was deliberately driven into a crowd, killing 86 people. And the same can be said about the Ariana Grande concert bombing that left 22 people dead.

The result of this shift in style, location and tactics is hundreds, sometimes thousands of people being targeted in a fixed area with little to no cover and limited exit routes.

The conspiracy theories and rumors surrounding Las Vegas will continue to swirl for years to come, but if it is true that Stephen Paddock was the single shooter on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel then he is just the first of many shooters to evolve their strategy and method of attack.

The result of this will be for rifles to become standard carry for some law enforcement officers working security for these events. Level III and IV plates will become a required piece of equipment.

The most important piece of information however will be the need for civilians to be more vigilant and aware of their surroundings. The idea of see something, say something must become a habit, not an after thought.

Post Las Vegas there will be new calls for gun control and someone’s ability to purchase a firearm, in the mean time however, do us a favor – pay attention, know your exits, be aware of who is around you – and if something looks weird, sounds weird and walks weird, it is probably weird…