Metro Unit
Tactical teams have become an integral part of modern law enforcement over the last 30 years. The modern concept of SWAT is generally credited to the Los Angeles Police Department, in the late 1960’s. In today’s public safety environment, a tactical capability is not a luxury item. Communities have come to expect advanced, specialized services, and a tactical unit is one of the most recognizable images in policing. Among police departments that service a resident population of 50,000 or more, 90% maintain some type of tactical entity. The last three decades have seen a proliferation of teams, training programs, and a virtual cottage industry of equipment manufacturers.
It is beyond question that operating a tactical team is a complex, serious undertaking, and that it requires a substantial commitment of the officers holding tactical assignments. A similar level of commitment of support to such a team is required from department administrators. The backing of agency leaders is a necessary element of any successful tactical program. A tactical team is an essential part of the modern, professional police and public safety services we strive to provide.
The St. Joseph County Police Department operated a S.W.A.T. team in the late 1970s until the early 1980s. That team was disbanded for a number of reasons, including financial concerns, the logistics of providing an acceptable level of ongoing training, and a lack of operational activity. In the years that followed, the department operated without an organized, in-house tactical capability. Near the end of the decade, a number of factors led to the reformation of a tactical unit. The surge in illicit drug use, specifically cocaine, which had been seen in other, more urban areas of the country found its way to St. Joseph County. With this rise in drug activity came the higher probability for violent behavior on the part of the offenders. Vast sums of grant monies became available to law enforcement agencies to combat the problem. One such program funded an enforcement unit of St. Joseph County officers called the Special Drug Task Force. This squad was sufficiently successful that a need developed for a tactical unit to support the investigative initiatives of the squad. The Tactical Emergency Response Team was formed in 1989. The team was formed using traditional tactical parameters. Team members were selected on the basis of discipline, physical condition, firearms proficiency, and psychological suitability. The “Tactical” part of the team name was dropped in the early 90s, shortening it to the Emergency Response Team. The name was changed to the more familiar Special Weapons And Tactics in the late 90s.
In 1994 the team was redefined by the inclusion of two other agencies. The Mishawaka Police Department, and the South Bend Regional Airport Police appointed officers to the team. This is noteworthy in that for the first time locally, a multi-department team was organized. The Mishawaka Police Department had five positions on the team, the airport, one. The combined agency concept has been an overall positive one from its inception until the present. Throughout the existence of the combined unit, the team has enjoyed solid support form the various department heads, as well as the elected governing bodies of the participating agencies. The team members themselves have displayed a strong sense of cohesiveness and esprit de corps.
During its service the team has responded to a wide variety of tactical situations in all corners of St. Joseph County, as well as Marshall County, and the cities of South Bend, Mishawaka, and Goshen. Elements of the team have been detailed to several jurisdictions throughout northern Indiana in support of special security operations.
Several factors led to the restructuring of the team into a multi-agency unit. A primary benefit is that it allows multiple agencies to share the costs and responsibilities of maintaining a tactical capability. The theory has proven successful, with a long, positive history of inter-agency cooperation on matters of training, operations, equipment, personnel selection, and administration. Essentially, the team functions as unit of the agency where the incident is taking place. In the unincorporated areas of the county, the SJCP has administrative command responsibility, in Mishawaka, the Mishawaka police have that control, and in the satellite communities, the chief of that agency consults with SJCP commanders. The team has never had a problem with command or control using this model.
The team is organized in a method common to tactical units, with an emphasis placed on specific positions or tasks. This model identifies officers by their tactical roles within the team, and the general assignment of that position. In many cases, officers are cross-trained in multiple roles, which increases the flexibility of our personnel compliment. Our group utilizes the following designations for our various positions: the first number is the total number of specific positions currently on the team; the second number (in parenthesis) is the number of St. Joseph County officers assigned to each position
Team Commander 1-(1) Maintains overall responsibility for the training, deployment, and field supervision of the team.
Team Leader 2-(2) Supervises a specific sub-group (element) of the team during training or field operations. Commonly the team is split into a perimeter or containment group, and an entry group. One team leader would supervise each of these.
Tactical Officer 14-(6) The standard S.W.A.T. officer position, a tactical officer could be detailed to various positions including perimeter, scout, arrest team, breeching, or entry team. All tactical officers are cross-trained in all of the assignments they might reasonably expect to encounter.
Sniper/Spotter 3-(2) Officers specially trained in the use of high-powered, scoped rifles. Using their advanced optical equipment, they also serve as intelligence gatherers, relaying their observations to other members of the team.
Negotiator 3-(2) Officers who have received intense training in crisis management, and psychological techniques designed to persuade offenders to a certain course of action. Swat officer are deployed for any type of high risk calls. Some include:
Barricaded Subjects
The barricaded subject is (along with high-risk warrant service) the type of situation we face most often. The classic scenario includes (generally) a lone violator, who is in an enclosed structure, usually a dwelling or garage, and refuses to surrender to conventional police. These events are often preceded by some type of confrontation, often a domestic dispute, or an attempt by police to arrest the subject on some (usually minor) charge. The violator reaches the presumed safety of the structure, and stays within. The subject may or may not be armed, and may or may not actually barricade or fortify the entry points of the structure to bar access. These situations are often resolved by negotiations, but it should be noted that a basic tactical premise is that negotiators are not deployed without a tactical team in place. A properly positioned team is a definite motivating factor in negotiations, and the team is trained to safely accept the surrender of a suspect who opts to comply. Additionally, in the event that the violator is a “non-responder”, or cannot be convinced to give up, the team will be needed to effect entry.
High-Risk Warrant Service
Our other most requested mission is the service of a high-risk search or arrest warrant. An investigative unit, having obtained a warrant, uncovers information that indicates that a suspect is (or is very likely to be) armed, or has a higher than average propensity toward violence. In the case of a specific location, investigators have reason to believe the structure is somehow fortified, or occupied by armed offenders. This operation is generally executed by means of a “dynamic” entry, utilizing breeching of one or more access points, followed by a rapid entry of a team. The combination of the element of surprise, and the overwhelming presence of a fully equipped team, are usually enough to overcome any resistance.
High Level Security
The team has been deployed successfully numerous times for various types of special security missions. These operations have included the transportation of escape risk inmates, celebrity and dignitary protection, and incidents with a potential for civil unrest. The team has delivered these services in plain clothes and unmarked cars, as well as full tactical uniforms and equipment. Tactical teams are well suited to such security assignments because of the advanced weaponry, and team oriented methods they employ.
School/Workplace Violence
Incidents of school and workplace violence nationwide have caused tactical teams to alter their approach to these situations. Our team has adopted a modified deployment and operational strategy to meet this particular challenge. Generally, the time delay in traditional tactical deployments is counter-productive in these incidents. We routinely train using a rapid deployment method, now widely accepted throughout the law enforcement community.
Hostage Rescue
This scenario, while very rare, is generally considered to be the most serious, difficult, and potentially dangerous undertaking any team can attempt. A hostage-taking incident requires a maximum deployment of resources, including negotiations, in addition to all possible tactical options. Our team practices the basic techniques and methods unique to hostage rescue on a regular basis.
The operation of a tactical team is a critical part of any law enforcement agency, and while it poses ongoing challenges, it is an important and worthwhile endeavor. The financial responsibilities, and the individual efforts and sacrifices of all the personnel involved are substantial. The result though, is a tactical capability of which we can be rightly proud of, and have confidence in. This then, is the true definition of a tactical team; a collaboration where the officers, supervisors, and administrators of the department at large are as integral a part of a successful mission as are the SWAT operators themselves.