In compliance with Maryland's Public Safety Article 3-507 - which requires law enforcement agencies that maintain a SWAT Team to report specified activation and deployment information to the Maryland Statistical Analysis Center (MSAC) - this report presents data on eligible SWAT Team deployments reported to MSAC during fiscal year 2013 (July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013).
During this year, 1,650 SWAT deployments were activated throughout the State. This was a decrease of one deployment compared to fiscal year 2012 (n=1,651). SWAT deployments occurred in all 24 of the State's jurisdictions. Data are reported for each county. A total of 38 police departments reported at least one SWAT deployment and activation during the year. An additional three agencies had an active SWAT Team but did not have a deployment. All of the remaining law enforcement agencies were excluded from this report because they did not have a SWAT Team. Deployment data are presented by police agency and zip code. The majority of the deployments occurred in conjunction with the execution of a search warrant (90.5 percent, n=1,494). The remaining categories accounted for approximately 10 percent of the deployments, including barricades (5.5 percent); arrest warrants (0.8 percent), and exigent circumstances (0.2 percent). Similar results were reported over the past 3 years. A chart shows the legal authority for every activated SWAT deployment. The underlying reasons for SWAT Team activation consisted of responses to Part I and Part II crimes, emergency petitions, suicidal persons, or other reasons. Forcible entry was used most often (72.5 percent) during SWAT deployments in conjunction with the issuance of a search warrant. Data are also provided on property or contraband seized, arrests made, and injured or killed persons and animals. 9 tables and 12 charts