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PUBLIC SAFETY Police shootings weigh on Rogue Valley officers Policies haven't changed, but cops well aware of the tragedies Comment By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Jul. 19, 2016 at 6:06 PM By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Jul. 19, 2016 at 6:06 PM » Social News The Baton Rouge and Dallas shootings targeting police officers haven't affected local law enforcement policies and procedures, but the shootings have weighed on the officers themselves. Officer training and preparation for worst-case scenarios is an continuing concern, according to area agencies. Medford police regularly train for active shooter scenarios, Lt. Kevin Walruff said. Officers conducted training exercises Tuesday, and Walruff said it's common to plan for worst-case scenarios. "It raises our situational awareness," Walruff said. “We want them to be safe out there when they’re doing their jobs.” Regardless of headlines, local agency leaders said officer safety is always a concern. “I wouldn’t say we’ve done anything outside of normal practice,” said Capt. Nate Sickler of the Jackson County Sheriff's Department. "Officer safety is always a priority," Ashland police Deputy Chief Warren Hensman said, adding that no polices or procedures have changed. The shootings that killed eight officers in the line of duty in July, however, give Hensman pause when he thinks about his previous law enforcement jobs in Las Vegas and suburban Atlanta. Had he made different decisions, he could have been among the fallen, he said. “There’s a tremendous sense of sadness, I think,” Hensman said. “If I were to have chosen to be a Dallas P.D. cop I could have been there.” For a second week, local police officers have worn black mourning bands on their badges. The symbol must be approved by police chiefs because it's a modification of the standard uniform. “I got one on my badge today,” Sickler said, adding that he'll wear it for the week to honor those in Baton Rouge. “Then hopefully we won’t have to wear it for a while.” In the past, officers wore the mourning band in solidarity with individual officers killed in the line of duty on the West Coast. The back-to-back massacres, however, are unprecedented. “I can’t think of ones that have been mass casualties — you know, multiple officers, back to back — in my 26 years,” Walruff said. Walruff said that although the Medford department is thinking through scenarios, he respects the Baton Rouge and Dallas agencies' decisions. “I would not 'Monday morning quarterback' anything those police agencies did,” Walruff said. "Those were ambushes.” “When something does happen, hopefully we’ve already thought of it,” Walruff said. The shootings are a hardship on officers' families, who see the headlines as worst-case scenarios for their loved ones. “They have concerns, 'Is this going to happen here,' ” Walruff said. Local residents have shown their support for local agencies with cakes and balloons and Facebook likes and shares. Following the Dallas attack, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Black Lives Matter volunteers dropped off flowers at Ashland police headquarters. "We don't do this for pats on the back," Walruff said. "It's well-received and it's heartfelt." Reach reporter Nick Morgan at 541-776-4471 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @MTCrimeBeat. By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Jul. 19, 2016 at 6:06 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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