SIGNIFICANT TACTICAL POLICE CASES

Book excerpt: While skill development is important in the world of law enforcement, today there appears to be a disturbing lack and understanding of history, how it impacts the present, and how it ultimately affects the future. Accordingly, the primary purpose of this book is to provide the professional SWAT officer with the appropriate historical references in order to improve the individual and overall performance of this very specialized aspect of law enforcement. The text offers analysis of significant case histories, much in the same manner as the approach to learning used by the Harvard Business School and the United States Army War College. Tactics, equipment, organizational preparedness, and operational execution are examined to identify what was successful and can be maintained or improved for future use or what was ineffective and should be avoided. In reviewing the significant case histories, a variety of methods was used for data collection, including original police and court records, interviews with participants in these events, and even direct observation. By examining these cases, the reader becomes better equipped and more able to understand how the standards were developed in the police tactical world and why they are so important to operational success. In addition to SWAT specialists, this book is also written for police officers of all levels, particularly those who are charged with the responsibilities of supervising personnel, allocating scarce resources, and making policy. Without a proper historical reference, performance of these skills often becomes an exercise in futility and even counterproductive. The text will also be beneficial to college and university students of criminal justice and to those whose vocations take them close to the criminal justice world such as politicians, journalists, social workers, and other caregivers.