Operations Support Division- SWAT
• SWAT provided nine Dignitary Protection assignments for several key current and former government officials, including former President Barack Obama.
• SWAT conducted 85 operations assisting narcotics, vice, and barricaded persons in 2016.
• Personnel provided training in the department’ s Rescue Task Force( RTF) program.
The SWAT Unit consists of 12 full-time operators, two sergeants, and a lieutenant. The unit also relies on two part-time teams of 10 officers each who provide support to SWAT as an ancillary duty. These part-time teams have other primary duties such as patrol, traffic and criminal investigation. There are also officers assigned as negotiators and snipers that provide support to the SWAT Unit.
The unit responded to nine barricaded person calls last year and assisted with the execution of 21 search warrants. The unit also assisted with 32 narcotics and vice arrest warrants.
The most notable dignitary protection assignments included the request by Dallas Police Department to provide the escort and venue protective detail for President Barack Obama in July. Through careful coordination with the United States Secret Service and other federal agencies, this successful operation utilized every available SWAT operator.
Rescue Task Force training was rolled out to 323 police officers and 78 supervisors in conjunction with the Arlington Fire Department and Arlington Medical Response. This training focused on properly mitigating active shooter threats with an added medical response component.
SWAT personnel are routinely tasked with providing expert instruction in a variety of training topics at the Training Center. Personnel provided 1,853 hours of instruction to recruit officers and in-service training for employees. Resource hours were also provided in the form of assisting patrol by working over 600 hours to reduce violent crime, answer calls for service, and conduct traffic enforcement. Additionally, over 208 hours of community outreach was provided in the form of assisting with static equipment displays and forums to better educate the public on SWAT’ s role and philosophy.
Arlington, Texas Police Department
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