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It is important for police officers involved in high-risk SWAT callouts to be well trained and to be able to operate with excellence under the pressure, danger, and stressors that come with this profession. Furthermore, every member must be in sync with each element brought to bear on such incidents. Each SWAT officer, on-scene command staff, and negotiator squad must function seamlessly and effectively, for there is no room for breakdown or error due to the delicate and high stakes nature of SWAT callouts.
SWAT teams are typically deployed on high-risk warrant service operations, and in other situations too difficult, complicated, or dangerous for a contingent of patrol officers. Examples of these dangerous situations include, but are not limited to hostage situations, barricaded subjects, suicidal subjects, and situations in which someone is actively harming or shooting other people ("active shooters"). SWAT is typically deployed to contain and respond with the appropriate force and tactics needed to save lives and stop threats.
The police officers in the USA serving as SWAT operators in these situations are trained in and tasked with precision shooting, dynamic building entry, proficiency in the use of less-lethal weaponry, and demanding physical, mental and emotional requirements. Examples of these requirements include discriminating between innocent people and lethal threats, being in exceptional physical condition and having endurance for callouts lasting over 12 hours, and critical planning and decision-making skills when preparing and executing a dynamic entry into a hostile situation that also includes innocent people.
SWAT operators are part of a larger contingent of officers who respond to these special threat situations. When deployed there is a command and control element of supervisors and commanders reviewing and making operational decisions, and there is a contingent of hostage negotiators who are charged with gathering information and trying to engage subjects in a dialog with the hope of peaceful resolution of the situation. All of these elements, though coming from different training and philosophies, try to work in harmony to change and resolve the dangerous situation at hand.
Very little scholarly research has been conducted on SWAT teams, their operation, or their members. What are the common characteristics of SWAT operators and how do these characteristics compare with patrol officers, or hostage negotiators? In an...