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| This week in The Grizzly Detail |
“Police! Get down on the floor! Get down on the floor now!” If you’re like most people, the only place you’ve ever heard these words yelled out is on television or in the movies. However, if you were in the vicinity of the abandoned and soon to be torn down Graystone Apartments on Las Vegas Trail this past Wednesday, you may’ve heard it being shouted. The shouts were preceded by the sound of breaking glass and shotgun blasts as the eight man White Settlement S.W.A.T. team spent eight hours running through tactics, exercises, and practice. Now under the ownership of the City of White Settlement, the empty Graystone Apartment complex was made available to the WS S.W.A.T. unit so that they could get in an evening of practice in a very real location. “Anything the city can provide our Police and Fire, we will,” White Settlement City Manager Jimmy Burnett said, also adding that “an opportunity to train in the real world setting is invaluable. I have always said training such as this provides more information than can be obtained from any book or tape.” S.W.A.T., which stands for “Special Weapons and Tactics,” is a unit within the police department that is trained to take on high risk operations that are beyond the capabilities of regular patrol officers. These operations can include serving high risk warrants, dealing with hostage situations, counter-terrorism, and engaging heavily armed criminals. “Mounting demands embattling today's law enforcement in fighting crime necessitates the proper resources and capabilities to successfully resolve such incidents,” Mike Odle, Captain of the White Settlement Police Department’s Operations Division said about the positives of having the unit in the city. “Having a highly trained, specialized S.W.A.T. team enhances the department's ability to respond to these demands as they occur,” he told The Grizzly Detail. The S.W.A.T. team is a part of the police department’s operations division. This incarnation of the White Settlement S.W.A.T. team occurred about a year ago. The team is able to accommodate ten members. There are currently two openings on the team and those can be tested for by officers who are interested in becoming a part of the specialized unit. “Four operators have Advanced S.W.A.T. certifications, three have Basic S.W.A.T. certifications of which two are scheduled for Advanced S.W.A.T. certification training this month, and one operator awaits the next Basic S.W.A.T. class,” Captain Odle stated. Over the past year the team has been used four times, three being assists to other agencies and one being their own operation. Captain Odle provided further information about their activity. “Thus far, our S.W.A.T. team operations have consisted of resolving incidents such as Barricaded/Suicidal Persons, Hazardous Warrant service, Narcotics Search Warrants, Narcotics Buy/Bust operations and reported Hostage Situations.” Before heading out for their eight hours of training at Graystone, the S.W.A.T. members met at the White Settlement police station to gear up and go over the plans for the day. While they kept no live ammunition in their personal firearms during the exercise, the members of the unit still looked imposing in their full gear of urban camouflage, bullet proof vests, helmets, and masks. |
| S.W.A.T. |
