An Overview of Law Enforcement Response Teams
Law enforcement response teams are specialized units within a police department or agency that are trained to respond to critical incidents, such as active shooter situations, hostage situations, or other high-risk emergencies. These teams are comprised of highly trained and skilled officers who possess advanced weapons handling and tactical martial arts training, as well as extensive knowledge and proficiency in various dangerous and stressful situations. Their primary objective is to neutralize potential threats and save lives, making them a crucial component of a comprehensive public safety strategy.
Different from regular patrol officers or detectives, law enforcement response teams are often called upon in high-stress situations that require quick thinking, efficient communication, and advanced crisis management skills. For example, during an active shooter scenario, response teams are often the first to enter and neutralize the shooter, effectively and efficiently assessing the situation , neutralizing threats, and saving lives. These teams are often trained in conflict resolution, crisis negotiation, and rapid response tactics, making them invaluable assets to the overall public safety portfolio of their municipalities.
While every experienced department may have its own version of a specialized response team within their police department, the most common- and widely-known type is a SWAT team, which is a critical component of the overall law enforcement and public safety structure in any given municipality. A SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) team is comprised of highly-trained and experienced officers, generally beyond the regular patrolman level, who have acquired extensive training in the use of various dangerous equipment and weapons, including chemical agents and various firearms, as well as other weapons also designed to neutralize threats and stop them from potential attacks on civilians, police officers, and other in harm’s way.
Categories of Law Enforcement Response Teams
There are a number of types of law enforcement response teams with specialized capabilities designed to address a variety of potentially dangerous situations. Common names for these teams vary from state-to-state or municipality-to-municipality. The variance is a reminder that, as with law enforcement in general, standard operating procedures differ across the country. For example, most common in the northeast and urban centers are hostage negotiation teams and SWAT teams, respectively.
Hosting negotiation teams are specially-trained officers who are often deployed in barricaded person, hostage and suicide situations. Their duties typically include assessing the threat, communicating with suspects and attempting to de-escalating the situation in order to protect victims or prevent suicides. A typical team is comprised of detectives, patrol officers, former military and trained civilians such as mental health professionals. Negotiation teams operate around the clock 365 days a year, and each member is constantly training when not on call.
In addition to hostage negotiation teams, many large law enforcement agencies also have SWAT teams (the acronym stands for Special Weapons and Tactics). These special teams, usually consisting of atop skilled police officers, are called to respond in dangerous situations when there is an immediate need for a specific tactical response that cannot be met by routine law enforcement. The majority of SWAT teams are trained and equipped to handle high-risk operations that require significant manpower including, but not limited to, serving high-risk search warrants, hostage rescue, ambush protection during apprehension of high-risk subjects and raids (think drug busts). Primarily dispatched when a potential threat has been identified and the urgency of immediate action can result in less of a chance for violence, SWAT teams will often coordinate their response with various law enforcement agencies, fire and medical services, and different command centers.
In addition to these two common types of response teams, many law enforcement agencies employ these other specialized units:
Requirements and Skills Needed
The qualifications and skills needed for those aspiring to join a law enforcement response team are as diverse and complex as the challenges they help to manage. While there are no universal criteria, several common threads can be found across most teams.
First and foremost, a post-secondary degree in a relevant field, such as criminal justice, public safety, psychology, or sociology, is often required. Many teams also look for prior experience in law enforcement or military service, as well as specialized training in crisis intervention or emergency response. Such training can improve an applicant’s ability to handle high-stress situations involving individuals who may be experiencing a mental health crisis.
Physical fitness is another common requirement for law enforcement response team members. Depending on the nature of the incidents they are likely to face, members may undergo rigorous physical training to ensure they are able to respond quickly and decisively in emergency situations. For example, obstacles courses or simulated emergency scenarios may be used to assess the agility and speed of those who have been accepted.
Mental and emotional stability is equally crucial to the potential candidates for a law enforcement response team. Many teams therefore conduct psychological evaluations to determine the ability of individuals to remain calm and collected under pressure, as well as to think critically and analytically. A proper drug testing program may be in place to ensure that all team members remain drug free.
Analytical abilities are also important in preparing for possible dangerous situations. The most effective response team will also have a diverse pool of skills in order to cover all possible situations during an emergency incident. Individuals with experience in criminal psychology, mediation or negotiation, learning disabilities, or other specialties may be considered invaluable assets for a team.
Once individuals are accepted into the team, extensive on-going training is provided. This includes crisis negotiation trainings, de-escalation of incidents, helping suicidal people, and crowd control management. Those interested in working in law enforcement response teams must also undergo in-service training regularly in order to develop their skills through constant development.
How to Advance in the Career
Career progression within law enforcement response teams is often outlined through a clear path that leverages extensive training and experience. New officers typically join a general duty patrol division. After meeting the minimum service period, they can apply to move into specialized units, such as criminal intelligence, organized crime or other investigative bodies. Sheppard recommends two key factors to consider when evaluating advancement options: "Make sure that the potential opportunities line up with your actual desires for career advancement and, more importantly, your capabilities and skills." He also suggests that officers consider whether the advancement will further their knowledge or simply take them out of the action. Some response team members charge upward through the hierarchy, eventually becoming lieutenants and captains. Others move laterally to other important roles, such as crime scene investigators, special weapons assault unit members or police scientists. Still others may take advantage of opportunities, such as international mentoring programs, that help them hone their skills and broaden their perspectives. Response teams can open doors to many internal and external opportunities.
What You Can Expect From the Job
Law enforcement response teams have long been considered one of the most demanding special units to be a part of. The challenges faced by members often involve intense physical and mental demands, including extensive training and physical conditioning, stressful situations, and the need to be constantly alert in order to ensure the safety of themselves and their team. These challenges, along with the need for extensive education and training throughout the course of a career in order to remain on the unit and support the never-ending, ever-evolving needs of the community, can take a toll on members and their families. It is not uncommon for there to be a high rate of turnover within these units, as members do not want their families and loved ones to suffer the many challenges that the job can present. Despite the numerous challenges faced by response team members, the rewards of the career are plentiful . Many are attracted to the sense of teamwork that is required in order to be a successful member of the unit. Even in extremely challenging situations, members must rely upon and trust in their teammates to help keep them safe and be effective at their jobs, which brings them closer to their fellow officers and puts them in a unique position to be able to connect with others facing the same struggles, doubts, and fears that any time of first responder, or any type of public servant, might encounter. Additional perks include the respect that comes with being a member of a response team- while partners and family members know what the job can entail, the community that you serve and protect may simply see you as a law enforcement officer who might come upon them on the street. Members of a response team are more immediately recognized and respected in their communities, as they are consistently dealing with crisis situations and under pressure, which ultimately makes them more effective, confident officers.
Applying for Law Enforcement Response Teams
Lateral Entry: Utilizing your law school and bar admission networks as well as your alumni resources through law enforcement agencies can be an excellent way of getting a foot in the door on a growth industry market. Keeping strong communication with your network is essential in the job search process. Law enforcement response teams are often created out of existing specialized units: these squads often have a much higher turnover rate and leadership in these units often communicate with one another about available positions and initiatives in movement into other jurisdictions.
Career Websites: Making sure to stay in touch with local, state and federal law enforcement career websites is another strong strategy. In addition, numerous third party recruiting resources exist that focus specifically on law enforcement, including the most common professional hiring websites. Signing up with job alerts linked to keywords like Law Enforcement Response Team, Lead Attorney, Criminal Defense Counsel, etc. can be extremely productive.
Night School: As a practicing attorney, being able to dedicate time to night school to gain additional experience in Law Enforcement Response Teams may put you in a unique position for lateral entry.
Networking: By attending industry conferences and associations, one can remain ahead of the curve for job searches and be able to leverage their credentials to get behind the scenes interviews ahead of the competition. In addition, many members of Law Enforcement Response Teams are given the day off for active members of local bar associations. Taking advantage of these opportunities not only removes the pressure of needing to take time off of paid leave from your current job, but also puts you in a very competitive position for the audition process of entry and lateral movement.
Interviews: The interview process is the most daunting portion of the entire on boarding process. Being personable and competent and understanding the role of a response lawyer is an absolute necessity. The reality of being both is not easy to perform in a short period of time. Taking advantage of the numerous resources available to familiarize yourself with the legal standards, practices, procedures, and expectations is a necessity.
Future Developments in Law Enforcement Response
The future trends in law enforcement response teams are likely to include an increased reliance on technology, data analysis, and specialized units to address a growing range of public safety threats. As the attacks on the US increase in frequency and become more complex, law enforcement agencies will continue to look for ways to better prepare their teams and reduce response times.
One of the most significant trends is the continued integration and cross-training of various law enforcement teams. For example, SWAT teams are increasingly being trained to respond to active shooter events, partly due to incidents like the 2016 attack on the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. Additionally, many explosive ordnance disposal teams are being trained to respond to terrorist events. The US Army continues to train more civilians, and local police agencies across the country are beginning to similarly increase their investment in military-style training for their tactical raiders.
Technology will continue to play a larger role in law enforcement. Mobile data terminals, such as laptop computers and tablets, are becoming increasingly common in tactical team vehicles. Body armor and plate carriers have also been trending toward lighter, more flexible, more protective , and more modular designs for tactical officers. The use of augmented and virtual reality has also been increasing in law enforcement training. Debriefing process development and maintenance will also continue to grow in importance as tactical teams and other operational teams mitigate risks through training and learning from after-action reports.
Law enforcement response teams will continue to be in high demand, and they will expand into new roles and areas of expertise. Non-law enforcement security companies are taking on new tasks, such as building surveillance systems or providing passive perimeter defenses. Private facilities are increasingly using reserve and retired officers as security guards. Finally, government agencies are using private contractors, including military veterans, to train civilian employees.
Law enforcement response teams are increasingly focusing on social media, online chat rooms, and online gaming environments for recruitment. They also heavily rely on online campaign management systems for targeting, measuring, and exploiting data through strategic hiring campaigns. In addition to drawing in outsiders to join law enforcement, many outreach campaigns involve storytelling. Many of these efforts are winning awards across many industries.