NCJ Number
183915
Journal
Police: The Law Enforcement Magazine Volume: 24 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2000 Pages: 42-44
Date Published
April 2000
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Despite critics' complaints that tactical teams are a threat to the Nation, SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) callouts are usually for defensive purposes, and the majority end without a gun battle.
Abstract
Police tactical teams have strict use-of-force rules and are rarely deployed in an offensive situation. In nearly every case in which a police tactical team is deployed, the assault has already occurred in the form of hostage-taking or a crime against the community at large. SWAT teams respond, deploy, and use tactics and tools that may have use in a military environment, but SWAT teams are trained to act within strict departmental rules for procedures and actions in the situations for which they are deployed. Those who portray SWAT teams as paramilitaristic look only at the appearance of team members. They overlook the emerging and innovative uses of less-lethal devices, such as bean bag rounds and OC spray. The law enforcement community is increasingly turning to multijurisdictional SWAT teams composed of volunteers from several agencies. This arrangement allows police departments to share expenses for equipment and training, as well as human resources. SWAT teams are trained, equipped, and supervised to perform within parameters designed to protect the lives of all involved in the incidents deemed, under departmental policy, to be appropriate for their response.