Police Magazine

Robert O'Brien

SWAT Sergeant (Ret.)

A member of the TREXPO Advisory Board, Sgt. Robert "Bob" O'Brien Cleveland SWAT Ret. is the founder of the R.J. O'Brien Group Ltd., a law enforcement training and consulting service that advises and trains a number of local, state, and federal SWAT teams. O'Brien co-founded Cleveland's full-time SWAT team, and he served with that unit for 25 years. He is a former consultant to the National Tactical Officers Association and a former vice president of the Ohio Tactical Officers Association.

Inside the Badge •by Robert O'Brien•July 17, 2007

The Nightmare Scenario: SWAT vs. Bad Cops

Bad cops, represent a particularly deadly threat to officers who respond to, or investigate, their crimes. I can’t think of many nightmare scenarios worse than confronting an armed, trained good guy gone bad, who knows our tactics.

Inside the Badge •by Robert O'Brien•July 10, 2007

The SWAT Approach to Searches and Raids

Basic search and raid principles remain essentially unchanged since Sun Tzu wrote “The Art of War” more than 2,000 years ago. Sir Robert Peel’s London Bobbies conducted searches and raids for criminals in the 1800s about the same way we do them now. And today, basic “hammer and anvil” (entry and containment) principles are universal. There have been some refinements, however. SWAT has created its own unique strategies and tactics, which vary among teams.

Inside the Badge •by Robert O'Brien•July 5, 2007

Pro Football and SWAT: Getting Back to the Basics

On the surface, it would seem that pro football teams and SWAT teams are totally unrelated. After all, NFL football is only a game, and its players are among the highest paid people in America. Whereas pay is definitely not the primary reason that any of us chose law enforcement as our profession, and our life and death operations in SWAT are by no means a game.However, underneath the surface and beyond these differences, pro football and SWAT share very similar traits. What follows is a

Inside the Badge •by Robert O'Brien•June 26, 2007

Searches and Raids in the Days Before SWAT

Four decades ago in the days before SWAT, most searches and raids were conducted by patrol officers or detectives without special training or equipment. These men went into battle almost naked and unarmed when you compare their equipment to that of today’s SWAT officer.

Inside the Badge •by Robert O'Brien•June 20, 2007

It's Our Duty to Study and Preserve SWAT History

Compared to military history's thousands of years, law enforcement's 200 years and SWAT's 40 years are a mere blink of the eye in time. Perhaps this accounts for the stark contrast between how the military and police view their respective histories.

Inside the Badge •by Robert O'Brien•June 14, 2007

How Long Should You Stay in SWAT?

There is an ongoing debate about how long anyone should stay in SWAT. There are two schools of thought. One view is officers should stay in SWAT as long as they are qualified, pass the requirements, and want to remain a team member. The other view is officers should only stay in SWAT for a set amount of time (five years), and then rotate out. Both schools of thought have very different reasons for their beliefs.

Inside the Badge •by Robert O'Brien•June 5, 2007

Picking the Right Person for the Job

You are a SWAT team commander/leader, and you have a dilemma. You have a major mission coming up soon, and you need to pick the right people for the right jobs. For many SWAT commanders, this doesn't present any problem. Every member of their teams is up to speed—trained, experienced, reliable, and trusted.

Inside the Badge •by Robert O'Brien•May 30, 2007

Lessons from Virginia Tech

"When you aren't practicing somewhere someone is and, when you meet him, he will win." This thought-provoking saying was passed along to me many years ago by Terry Thorpe, a warrior friend who lost his courageous final battle with Agent Orange.

Inside the Badge •by Robert O'Brien•May 30, 2007

Officer Ambushed! Officer Down!

This Memorial Day was an especially reflective one for me, with another tragic police death only three days before on May 25.

Inside the Badge •by Robert O'Brien•May 9, 2007

Dealing with Vicious Dogs

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.

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