Blog - SWAT - May 2007

Welcome to Police Magazine’s weekly online SWAT column. This column will discuss SWAT/Tactical issues facing law enforcement today. For clarification purposes, SWAT will be used to describe the various names for tactical: Tactical, SRT, ERT, ESU, etc.

Few innovations in law enforcement have had the impact that SWAT has had over the last 40 years. SWAT was born of necessity in response to escalating violence in America in the 1960s that was often beyond the capability of the police. <

Law enforcement training covers practically every conceivable aspect of use of force. However, an area that is glossed over by many agencies is policy, training, and tactics for dealing with vicious dogs.

Vicious dog attacks account for more than 100 fatalities and thousands of serious injuries every year. Police are usually the first responders to vicious dog reports and are often attacked by these dogs.

There is a quiet debate in SWAT that starts with the question: Which team is the “best?” Followed by: Which teams are “better.”

The only time SWAT teams compete against each other is during SWAT competitions for “bragging rights.” And while such competitions are important, SWAT’s real opponents are the bad guys. That’s the competition you can’t afford to lose.