SWAT team takes second place in international contest

Alachua County Sheriff’s Office sharpshooters were on target in a recent competition, taking second place in an international field that included some full-time SWAT teams.

The second-place finish was the best ASO placing in the SWAT Round-up International competition in Orlando, which this year drew teams from Germany, Sweden, Dubai and Hungary in addition to departments throughout Florida and the U.S.

But more than that, the competition, which took place from Nov. 29 to Dec. 4, creates a better SWAT squad, sheriff’s officials said.

“The greatest asset to this competition is the training that goes into getting prepared for it – that and the competition itself. You do so many different tasks, and it makes you such a well-rounded member of SWAT,” said Sgt. Shawn Brooks, ASO’s SWAT training coordinator.

“The level of stress and pressure on each team member is incredible. The stress I feel competing is greater than on any SWAT operation that I have ever been on,” Brooks said.

SWAT, which stands for special weapons and tactics, is a unit within many law enforcement agencies that might be used during hostage situations, certain drug busts, cases in which a suspect is barricaded and others that require elite skills and weaponry.

At some agencies, SWAT is a full-time duty for the members. At ASO, SWAT members are regular deputies who are called to SWAT duty when needed.

A set of criteria must be met for the SWAT team to be called out. Sheriff’s Lt. Steve Maynard, also a SWAT member, said the squad is typically used 25 to 30 times a year.

The ASO squad has 25 members – though not all are deputies. Included are a doctor who volunteers his time and intelligence officers. Eight were selected to complete in the four-day, five-event competition. Most of the pre-competition training is done off-duty.

SWAT Round-up is held by the Florida SWAT Association with the National Tactical Officers Association every year. This year, 52 teams competed in events, which feature running, climbing over obstacles, crawling and shooting.

The running, climbing and crawling make the shooting more difficult because they increase the heart rate and breathing of the competitor.

“With the targets themselves, you have to be a really good shot because they are so small and at a distance. But when you combine the physical activity beforehand … it makes it extremely difficult,” Brooks said.

Maynard added that training courses are held in conjunction with the competition and bring in top experts.

Maynard added that the senior leadership on the team evaluates the performance and generally finds that their skills and physical fitness improve from the training and competition.

“They will be the most tactically sound, and that is a phenomenal benefit,” Maynard said. “Everybody else just tries to play catchup.”

The overall winner was the Lakeland Police Department. ASO was one point behind, while the third-place team, an emergency rescue team from NASA, was 11 points behind.

By Cindy Swirko

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