Special Weapons And Tactics Team
(S.W.A.T.)

The Special Weapons And Tactics Team (S.W.A.T.) exists to support the patrol and criminal investigations divisions in resolving high-risk incidents while minimizing the potential for injury or death to all parties involved. This is accomplished with specially trained officers, specialized weapons, and other tools. Some examples of situations that would require the deployment of the S.W.A.T. Team include:

• Barricaded, armed suspect(s) holding hostages
• Sniper attacks
• Protection of police and fire units involved in mob/crowd actions, arsonists, and insurgents
• Deployment of special and/or chemical weapons
• High risk search warrant service

The S.W.A.T. Team is comprised of three components, each trained and equipped for specific duties. The S.W.A.T. Team is commanded by a Sergeant and is broken down as follows:

Tactical Team - Consisting of a Tactical Sergeant and officers that have specific duties and specialization’s. These duties include operators, sniper/observer teams, and breachers.

Negotiator - Consisting of a Negotiations Officer and is responsible for conducting all communication with barricaded persons and is vital to gathering information about these situations.

Support - Consisting of two F.D. paramedics, and several civilian members of the department.