The Management of Police Specialized Tactical Units

Managerial responsibility of a SWAT team requires continuous research in the material area of long-term criminal trends as well as keeping abreast of the continuous legal and executive developments needed by decision-makers to oversee the work of police officers who respond to critical incidents. This second edition of the Management of Police Specialized Tactical Units represents a significant updating of many of the chapters from the previous edition. This book explains the steps for developing and maintaining a realistic, effective response to increasing levels of violent crime. It discusses the social and political matters that must be continuously defined, identified, and settled prior to the implementation of any substantive or procedural change in tactical policy. Legal and operational guidelines are provided that are needed by tactical leaders to develop and improve their leadership abilities and tactical success, thereby enhancing the tactical unit’s ability to safeguard the public. Several critical incidents and court cases have taken place within the last eight years, and these historical occurrences and legal decisions are presented in a very clear and logical manner as a guide for improving the delivery of police service. Of particular interest is the new material on how the range of activities assigned to tactical units has expanded dramatically over the past decade and how the law enforcement community has been forced to respond to its critics. Throughout the book, the authors emphasize that decision-makers must not only be organizational managers and administrators but they must also possess a firm grasp of all aspects of confrontation tactics and they must be effective leaders.