Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the Future of Policing Institute fellows are theirs and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.
Does every city need its own SWAT team?
The number of police agencies with their own SWAT teams has grown dramatically since the first one was created in the 1960’s. There are many instances where police agencies ill-equipped to fund, train and equip their SWAT teams have conducted tactical operations with tragic results. Yet, policing culture continues to encourage the creation of SWAT teams in agencies that just should have them. Here we help answer the question “Does every city need its own SWAT team?”