Blog - SWAT

Have you noticed how certain teams—military, police, or sports—are consistent winners, year after year? What is the secret to their longterm success? Have they discovered a secret fountain of success or some magic formula? Whatever their secrets, there are lessons the rest of us can learn from their success.

Despite its importance, cover and containment can be easily overlooked in raid/search planning. Many law enforcement officers can readily cite their own perimeter "horror stories" where perimeters turned to disaster. Here are a few examples of lessons learned from such situations.

SWAT places debriefings high on the list of learning essentials. The reason is debriefings are where we learn what went right or wrong, why, and how to correct things next time. Policing (SWAT included) is a constant learning experience, and what better way to learn than from our own experiences?

What makes confined space searches so dangerous is that they are essentially “ambushes” waiting to happen. Suspects in confined spaces are in “fight or flight” mode, which makes them as unpredictable and dangerous as any cornered animal. 

Last month, there were two separate deadly police shootings in the same week, resulting in multiple police casualties.

How can SWAT teams get ready to win every "game" they play throughout the entire year? For the answer, I suggest we look at how successful NFL teams stay that way. It's no surprise that many NFL teams openly pattern their offenses and defenses after Super Bowl winners.