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Police couldn’t watch Navy Yard surveillance video

WASHINGTON (AP) — An internal District of Columbia police report on the response to the Washington Navy Yard shooting says officers were hindered because they couldn’t access live surveillance camera footage of the shooter.

Military contractor Aaron Alexis killed 12 civilian workers at the Navy Yard’s Building 197 in September 2013 before he was fatally shot by police. The Metropolitan Police Department released its 83-page After Action Report on the shooting Friday.

The report says the contract security guard who was monitoring the surveillance videos locked the door to the control room and didn’t contact law enforcement. That prevented police from tracking Alexis’ movements in real time or ruling out reports of a second shooter.

The report also said Metropolitan Police Department officers were delayed in getting to the scene because some Navy Yard employees called an internal emergency communications number instead of 911 and because officers couldn’t get through locked gates when they arrived. That’s because the base personnel working at the entrances had followed emergency protocol to lock the gates and respond to the shooting, the report said.

Equipment challenges were also detailed by the report, and the department wrote it is addressing those.

Once officers entered the building, a blaring fire alarm pulled by an evacuating worker or security officer was an “ongoing distraction” and made it difficult to determine where shots were being fired from and hear radio communications, the report said. The police department says it is in the process of getting all of its members earpieces, which will allow officers to better hear communications in loud environments. The report said one officer also believes his radio, which was not attached to an earpiece, may have given away his location as he chased after Alexis, a situation earpieces would prevent.

Police are also obtaining additional weapons. Many years ago, police departments across the country began to acquire semi-automatic rifles to respond in situations where they might be out-gunned by suspects, the report said. But maneuvering in the narrow hallways of Building 197 while armed with a long rifle was a challenge, the report said. The department wrote it is now getting shorter-barrel rifles and including close-quarter maneuvers in training.

The report also stressed the importance of having neighboring law-enforcement agencies conduct collaborative training exercises as well as conducting exercises in many different locations including schools, hotels, hospitals and also military bases. Military bases have often been excluded from training, the report said, even after the shooting at Fort Hood in 2009 where a gunman killed 13 people.

“Police departments may hold the mistaken belief that the personnel working within gated military installations in the United States, such as the Navy Yard, are heavily armed and capable of defending against threats. The truth, however, is that the majority of the individuals working on military bases are not armed,” the report said.

Before the shooting, training between the city’s police force and their counterparts at the Navy Yard was “minimal,” the report said.

Naval District Washington spokeswoman Chatney Auger said in a statement that Navy Yard leaders are working with police “to strengthen our joint procedures during crisis situations.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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