"911 Changed A Lot of Things"

The Rolla police captain in charge of the threat incident at UMR Tuesday, said the attacks of September 11 changed the way law enforcement agencies work together in such cases.

Captain Mark Kearse, interim police chief in Rolla, said before 9-11, many agencies didn't work well together on cases they all responded to.  

But Kearse said federal, state and local agencies all had a role to play in the positive outcome in Rolla Tuesday.

"9-11 changed a lot of things for a lot of people and we're taken more serious in our country.  It brought together more grants and equipment and training and understanding that we really are on the same team and we need to work together," Kearse said. "That's what we saw today, total cooperation.  Ten or 15 years ago it probably would have been a different story."

Kearse said the agencies involved in Tuesday's threat incident will review how they handled the case and determine if the response plan needs any changes or fine-tuning.