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HCM
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quote:
Originally posted by sigfreund:
Have you seen any evidence of agencies’ moving away from having dedicated/organized SWAT teams? Have any agencies disbanded such teams or if there was consideration of having one, someone decided not to?

During a discussion I had with a senior member of another agency today, he said that it seemed to him that teams per se were going out of style and that the emphasis was training and equipping individual officers to respond effectively to things like active killer incidents.

I’m not, BTW, referring to the trend for several years now of training and conditioning officers to make solo responses if necessary. It’s a somewhat different philosophy that there’s no need to have dedicated teams if individual officers are given the training and equipment like helmets, rifle rated body armor, and rifles because in most incidents there won’t be time to assemble a team for response. And if there is, it can be made up of whatever such individuals are available.

Thanks for all responses.


No.

Pushing better gear / training to patrol is a supplement for improving response to emerging situations like an active shooter which are over too quickly for a SWAT response. It’s just a way to increase the agility and decrease effective response time. You do see SWAT on scene but they are normally clearing the rest of the structure after the fact.

Individual augmentation is not a factor in the core functions of tactical teams such as barricaded subjects, hostage rescue or high risk warrant service.
 
Posts: 528 | Location: Texas | Registered: March 25, 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
ftttu
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We are the smaller agency in our area so it was a little controversial to have started our SWAT team since the other agency already had one. I was going to try out when it was starting, but I REALLY REALLY didn't like who was starting it and commanding it...so no SWAT for me.

Over the years, there was talk about disbanding it over budget issues, but we still have it today after over 25 years or so.

I'm also surprised of how large our hostage negotiation team is. It does thin the ranks when both the SWAT and HNG teams do monthly training as well as other training the members attend, but the positives of having both outweigh not having them.


Retired Texas Lawman
 
Posts: 1226 | Location: Texas | Registered: March 03, 2016Reply With QuoteReport This Post
corsair
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posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by ftttu:
We are the smaller agency in our area so it was a little controversial to have started our SWAT team since the other agency already had one. I was going to try out when it was starting, but I REALLY REALLY didn't like who was starting it and commanding it...so no SWAT for me.

At that level, some guys view such specialized units as their own personal fiefdoms. Roll Eyes
quote:
I'm also surprised of how large our hostage negotiation team is.

Costs less than a full-time SWAT unit, and in this day of anti-LEO rhetoric, securing funding for negotiators is a lot easier.
 
Posts: 15146 | Location: Wine Country | Registered: September 20, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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