Special Weapons And Tactics Unit Procedures PDF

12.175 12.175 SPECIAL WEAPONS AND TACTICS UNIT Reference: Procedure 12.140, Canine Operations Procedure 12.700, Search Warrants/Consent to Search Definitions: Passive Category – The incident is contained, stabilized, and there is no immediate threat of harm or loss of life to any innocent citizens...

12.175 12.175 SPECIAL WEAPONS AND TACTICS UNIT Reference: Procedure 12.140, Canine Operations Procedure 12.700, Search Warrants/Consent to Search Definitions: Passive Category – The incident is contained, stabilized, and there is no immediate threat of harm or loss of life to any innocent citizens or officers, e.g., individual barricaded or threatening suicide. Active Category – The incident is not contained nor stabilized, is dynamic, or there is an immediate threat of loss of life to either innocent citizens or officers, e.g., sniper, individual actively shooting, etc. Purpose: Provide guidelines for the use of Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) personnel and equipment. Policy: SWAT will be called in the event of a hostage situation, threatened suicide, active barricaded person, or other applicable situations. The Cincinnati Police Department will use every available means to rescue and preserve the welfare of the hostage. The primary objective in a hostage situation is to ensure the safety of the hostages, innocent persons, and officers while affecting the rescue of the hostage. The secondary objective is the apprehension of the suspect. Information: The SWAT Unit is comprised of the Tactical Team and the Negotiation Team. SWAT personnel are trained to assist Department personnel in managing volatile situations. Supervisors should utilize this resource when faced with any high risk incident. Procedure: A. Duties and Responsibilities 1. The first officer(s) on the scene will: a. Determine the exact location of the incident while staying within a safe area. b. Conduct an immediate tactical evaluation of the scene. c. Notify Emergency Communication Section (ECS) of relevant information. Request the presence of a supervisor and necessary assistance. Suggest safe routes for responding personnel and keep the suspect’s location under surveillance. Revised 03/31/16, Replaces 08/14/12 1  12.175 d. Locate witnesses and attempt to identify suspect(s), hostages, objective of suspect, and weapons. 2. The first responding supervisor will take control of the scene and after evaluating the circumstances: a. Establish an inner perimeter to contain the individual. b. Establish an outer perimeter to keep pedestrian and vehicular traffic out of the area. c. Depending on which category the incident falls under, the on-scene Officer in Charge (OIC) will either notify the SWAT Coordinator or request an immediate SWAT call-out via ECS. 1) Passive Category – If the incident is contained, stabilized, and there is no immediate threat of harm or loss of life to any innocent citizens or officers, e.g., individual barricaded or threatening suicide, the on-scene OIC will contact the SWAT Coordinator either directly, via telephone, or through the ECS. 2) Active Category – If the incident is not contained nor stabilized, is dynamic, and there is an immediate threat of loss of life to either innocent citizens or officers, e.g., sniper, individual actively shooting, the on-scene OIC will contact the SWAT Coordinator either directly, via telephone, or through ECS. d. Establish a command post and staging area. e. Request ECS switch all involved district personnel to a specific radio channel that will not conflict with routine district radio traffic. Request ECS monitor this channel to receive and act on directives from the field units on-scene of the incident. f. Order an immediate evacuation of citizens from the affected area. Evacuation routes should not expose evacuees to any dangerous situations. 1) If evacuation is not feasible, warn the occupants of the area, via public address system or telephone, to remain indoors and away from windows. 2) Officers encountering injured persons will notify ECS. Evacuation and rescue will be handled by SWAT unless waiting for SWAT would jeopardize the life of the individual. a) In the event the rescue of an injured person cannot wait for SWAT arrival, the on-scene OIC will develop a tactical plan to allow for a quick and deliberate recovery of the person. Revised 03/31/16, Replaces 08/14/12 2  12.175 g. Contact the district commander and report all pertinent facts, including: 1) The recommended number of additional district personnel and equipment required and the location of the Command Post and Staging Area. h. Brief the SWAT Coordinator or their designee of all pertinent information upon their arrival. The SWAT Coordinator will then take command of the tactical operation. i. Cooperate with any request made by the SWAT Coordinator or designee. j. Appoint a recorder to keep a chronological log of events, posts, personnel, and action taken. k. Assign sufficient personnel to secure the staging area and ensure unauthorized persons cannot gain access to the incident. 3. The SWAT Coordinator will confer with the on-scene OIC and obtain the facts of the incident. 4. The on-scene OIC may contact the SWAT Coordinator to request assistance with a canine track, where the suspect is believed to be armed and is contained within a set perimeter. a. SWAT personnel should only be deployed to assist with a canine track under the following circumstances: 1) A police officer or firefighter has been shot or shot at. 2) Homicides and/or Felonious Assaults involving a firearm. 3) The individual has been verified as armed, has a violent history, and has made serious threats against citizens or law enforcement. 4) Any canine track or building search where the on-scene OIC believes the circumstances and/or threat to law enforcement dictates the deployment of SWAT personnel. b. On-duty SWAT personnel will be utilized whenever possible, including officers working Police Visibility Overtime (PVO). 5. The SWAT Coordinator will contact the SWAT Commander or Deputy SWAT Commander and request a SWAT call-out. 6. Once approved, the SWAT Coordinator will determine the number of SWAT personnel needed to respond and coordinate the notifications of those personnel. 7. Duties of SWAT personnel a. The first SWAT supervisor to arrive at the scene will confer with the on- scene OIC. Revised 03/31/16, Replaces 08/14/12 3  12.175 b. The SWAT Commander or designee is the tactical OIC of the operation and will command all personnel involved, in cooperation with district supervisors. c. The SWAT Commander will notify the Police Chief. d. The SWAT Coordinator or designee will maintain a chronological log of events, posts, personnel, and actions taken. e. SWAT personnel will replace district personnel assigned to the inner perimeter as soon as possible. 8. The affected district commander will respond to the Command Post and assist with the coordination of personnel and services from other City/County departments. a. Assess the situation and request the following as needed: 1) Additional personnel 2) Fire Department personnel 3) Prisoner van 4) Red Cross 5) Mobile Crisis Team 6) Police clergy B. Other Uses for SWAT 1. High-risk search warrant service. a. A high-risk search warrant is one where the officers expect the following: 1) Fortified locations 2) Armed subject 3) Subject has an outstanding warrant for Homicide, Rape, Felonious Assault, Aggravated Robbery, or Aggravated Assault 4) Any other situation where the potential for violence is great 5) Completion of Form 610, Search Warrant Service Risk Assessment Matrix, requires obtaining the aid of SWAT for the service of the search warrant when the Matrix score is 20 or higher a) If the score on the Matrix is 20 or over but the affiant unit has already apprehended the target of the investigation, either the SWAT Commander, Deputy SWAT Commander, or the SWAT Coordinator may grant the affiant unit permission to serve the warrant without SWAT assistance. Revised 03/31/16, Replaces 08/14/12 4  12.175 This will only be done after evaluating the totality of the situation and on a case by case limited basis. b. Affiant units should utilize the Real Time Crime Center for pre-raid and actual raid surveillance, videotaping, and Cincinnati Area Geographic Information System (CAGIS) information. c. Units should submit requests to use SWAT through the SWAT Commander or Coordinator. When possible, make requests prior to preparing the search warrant. d. SWAT personnel will handle the entry phase of the search and secure the premises. The affiant unit is responsible for the physical search for evidence. 2. Containing demonstrations occurring within a specific location or confined to a specific area. a. The SWAT Commander or Coordinator will assign SWAT personnel. 3. Assisting canine teams with a track under circumstances listed in Section A. C. Post Action Reports 1. The district shift OIC will complete a Form 17 detailing the log of events and action taken. Route reports to: a. Police Chief b. Patrol Bureau Commander c. SWAT Commander d. Affected District Commander 2. The SWAT Coordinator will submit an after-action report to the Police Chief describing the tactical operation. Revised 03/31/16, Replaces 08/14/12 5