Swat

[NextGenOfc]

Just curious, for a SWAT position once you go through training, do you get placed anywhere nationwide? Or can you pick where you would like to apply to?

Thanks everyone

[crass cop]

Most departments will require you to have some sort of street experience before you are allowed to apply for, test for, be accepted and THEN go through SWAT training. SWAT is generally for your dept....you would have to be a LEO first then go through your departments process or counties process if its a county wide SWAT thing.
When you are accepted and trained, you generally work for your department/county etc and may be called out to assist other agencies SWAT teams or to just handle their problems.

BUT...long story short....cop first THEN SWAT after you are off probation at the least

[SgtScott31]

Just curious, for a SWAT position once you go through training, do you get placed anywhere nationwide? Or can you pick where you would like to apply to?

Thanks everyone

I'm not quite sure what you're asking. If you are chosen for a SWAT Team position with the agency you are employed with, then you are on the team for that agency, no one else. Just because you are SWAT trained or on a team does not mean you can go anywhere and be SWAT. If you're looking to be part of a nationwide tactical team, try a federal agency that has one (FBI, Marshals, etc).

[NextGenOfc]

I'm not quite sure what you're asking. If you are chosen for a SWAT Team position with the agency you are employed with, then you are on the team for that agency, no one else. Just because you are SWAT trained or on a team does not mean you can go anywhere and be SWAT. If you're looking to be part of a nationwide tactical team, try a federal agency that has one (FBI, Marshals, etc).

What I meant was that say you are in a local department and there is no SWAT team for that specific town but you would like to work SWAT for somewhere generally close to home, would you be able to do this or would you be placed somewhere else in the nation? (as opposed to say DEA or other federal agency where you complete your training and you are then placed somewhere in the nation)

edit: any required amount of being on the street before a SWAT organization will consider taking you? Or does this vary among states/agencies?

[DAL]

I believe Swat is in Pakistan.

[mooseyard]

I think you are confused by what Swat teams are and what they do. They are a part of your local agency, same as K9 units, motor cops, etc. They are just another division of your local agency. Around here you work the road, and SWAT is a chance for over-time if the team is needed. We don't have any full-time swat teams around here that I know of.

[NextGenOfc]

I know we have a few different SWAT teams here in CT that cover certain jurisdictions, are they just a mixture of different departments then?

[GCFox]

I know we have a few different SWAT teams here in CT that cover certain jurisdictions, are they just a mixture of different departments then?

I'm going to try and putt it in for par here... If you are with an agency with a SWAT team, you are chosen/try out for/whatever and get on the SWAT team. Then you would be a part of the SWAT team. You would go through special weapons and tactics training and probably be put on an on call status. However, if the agency you work for has no SWAT team, then you would not be able to join the non-existing team.

Some parts of CT may have a deputized agency, SO, PD, Staties, whatever, that have a SWAT team that they can deploy if a SWAT call out is necessary.

You cannot just show up for SWAT school and then be released with some agency. Like any specialized units, you have to work in the dept. and get some work down....


Hope this helps...

[LA DEP]

As others have pointed out, you dont just walk into an agency and into a specialized unit, no matter the level of experience you may have somewhere else.

This isnt like the military by any stretch of the imagination.....like of it more like working for UPS or FedEx......they both do roughly the same thing, but they are two completely separate companies.

If you did xx number of years at some other agency, and then apply to us, then you START OVER as far as your seniority goes. You start as a boot Deputy in Custody.....just every other new Deputy.

To even be considered for one (of, I believe six) of our SEB teams, you will have to have done a minimum of around 10 years on the department; and most likely 10-15 years to get hired for it.

[2971511]

Many Local, County, State, and Federal Agencies have a SWAT team, or a team that serves the same purpose. Before you join a dept. you need to find out if they have a SWAY team, if they do not, they may assign officers to a regional SWAT team. Which would mean your a member of the Happy Valley PD, they do not have SWAT, but they use the Cool County Regional SWAT Team. After you become an officer at Happy Valley, a vacancy training announcement comes out for Cool County SWAT and you apply, You pass the training, poof, Your now a member of SWAT, subjewct to call outs in that County.

If you happen to join a really small dept. that does not have SWAT, you cant sign up for another Depts. team unless they have some type of understanding that allows to to train and become a team member.

In most Depts. there is not a lot of transferring from one dept to another, just to get into SWAT, it doesnt work like that.

In our Dept. US Park Police you need a MINIMUM of 3 years, usually move like 5-7 in patrol, also you need to pass the SWAT physical, and training requirements, which is VERY tough.

hope this answers your question.

[Bearcat357]

they may assign officers to a regional SWAT team. Which would mean your a member of the Happy Valley PD, they do not have SWAT, but they use the Cool County Regional SWAT Team. After you become an officer at Happy Valley, a vacancy training announcement comes out for Cool County SWAT and you apply, You pass the training, poof, Your now a member of SWAT, subjewct to call outs in that County.

That's what we had back home. One had to have 3-5 years on the job, get approval by your Agency Head to join, take a written/PT tests, attend/pass the training that the team sponsored, get approval by SGT in charge of the team, and get approval by County Sheriff since he was the one issuing the County Commission......and you were a Sworn Member of the team. The Sheriff had a special Badge/Commission card you got to carry as well.....

After that, one had to go to the state training....then continue with team training and call-outs..... If one was tardy so many times without a decent reason....out the door you went....

I spent 4 years as part of the team as a LE Intel Analyst.....doing to the spying/surveillance on gandy's we were after.....as I don't get off on kicking doors in like most Tac Heads do....

[StudChris]

I'm not even going to try on this one...

Yes, for instance I work for a small town police department near Orlando. After being on the road for 2 weeks (you know, enough to learn how to log on and off the computer), I was placed on SWAT. Now, if there's a callout in Alaska, they put me on a supersonic jet and I respond. It's a very important position you know.

[NextGenOfc]

alright thanks for the responses everyone i gotcha now

[NYCDep]

I'm not even going to try on this one...

Yes, for instance I work for a small town police department near Orlando. After being on the road for 2 weeks (you know, enough to learn how to log on and off the computer), I was placed on SWAT. Now, if there's a callout in Alaska, they put me on a supersonic jet and I respond. It's a very important position you know.

I think you're making that up. They wouldn't send anyone south of Georgia up to Alaska

[StudChris]

I think you're making that up. They wouldn't send anyone south of Georgia up to Alaska

Sure they do. I supersonic out to Washington, then fast rope from the supersonic jet to a bush plane midair, and head to the forrest. Obviously you don't have our training.