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•April 22, 2010

POLICE-TREXPO West: Tactical Toys

Once again, POLICE-TREXPO West exceeded my expectations. And once again, I came away with greater knowledge and appreciation for the law enforcement profession and also for SWAT—a profession within a profession.

Inside the Badge •by Robert O'Brien•April 22, 2010

POLICE-TREXPO West: Tactical Knowledge

From the spectacular Long Beach Convention Center venue to the professional TREXPO staff and course instructors, and especially all the LE professionals who attended the conference and expo—all combined to make this one of the best TREXPOs ever.

Inside the Badge •by Robert O'Brien•April 12, 2010

Pittsburgh Police Ambush: One Year Later

As in Oakland, Pittsburgh police have had a very rough year, grieving and recovering from the murders of three fellow officers. All the while, continuing to serve and protect the citizens of Pittsburgh as the professionals they are.

Inside the Badge •by Robert O'Brien•March 30, 2010

One Year After the Oakland Police Murders

For two months after the tragic shootings, OPD SWAT went into "stand down" mode, to regroup and train replacement Sergeants. Oakland is part of Alameda County, so Alameda County's tactical team handled any callouts while the OPD team regrouped. In May 2009, OPD SWAT became operational again and has since handled dozens of missions, successfully.

Inside the Badge •by Robert O'Brien•March 25, 2010

What Can You Do to Help Your Tactical Team Survive the Recession?

Even with federal stimulus money, many agencies continue to struggle financially. Far fewer new officers are being recruited or hired. Personnel layoffs and demotions are becoming more common. Less equipment and vehicles are being purchased. And more programs are falling into the "nice to have" category, meaning they'll soon be cut out entirely.

Inside the Badge •by Robert O'Brien•March 23, 2010

Is Your SWAT Team Really Ready?

Two Lenco Bearcat armored rescue vehicles (ARVs) were used to move perimeter personnel farther back and out of the suspect's line of fire. Ultimately as many as 200 officers from many LE agencies responded to the mutual aid calls for assistance. A number of SWAT teams answered the call and worked the inner perimeter.

Inside the Badge •by Robert O'Brien•March 5, 2010

Can Your SWAT Team Survive the Great Recession?

As a growing number of LE agencies struggle to stay afloat, it's logical that SWAT teams will feel the impact. Expect continuing cutbacks in personnel (especially full-time teams), equipment, training, and even callouts. All will be scrutinized for their "necessity." So what can SWAT do about it?

Inside the Badge •by Robert O'Brien•February 19, 2010

Ohio Police Must Defend Justifiable OIS

The shooting of the 72-year-old homeowner by Mentor (Ohio) police created an instant storm of community controversy that hasn't been quelled by an investigation calling it justifiable.

Inside the Badge •by Robert O'Brien•February 2, 2010

Officer Survival 2010: How Can SWAT Prevent Duty Deaths?

So what can SWAT do to help? For the answer, we should look at SWAT's role in diffusing two of the deadliest threats to society in modern times: snipers and active shooters.

Inside the Badge •by Robert O'Brien•January 12, 2010

The Oakland Police Murders: What We Think We Know

Start with the OPD board of inquiry after-action report and definitely include the OPD radio transmissions from March 21. Follow up on these by reading as many news and LE articles, blogs, commentaries that you can find, especially via the Internet. And if you have access to any "inside intel," that's better yet.

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