Special Weapons and Tactics Unit

 

The Raytown Police SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics Team) consists of a group of Police Officers who receive additional training and are willing to maintain on-call status 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The unit's specially trained personnel provide tactical response to hostage situations, barricaded persons, armed-suspect incidents, work or school place violence and high-risk search warrant entries for various investigative units including Homicide, Robbery, Narcotics and Domestic Violence. They also support day-to-day patrol incidents by responding to high-risk calls for service in addition to their regular assignments.

 

While the goal of every Police Officer is to save lives and de-escalate the potential for violence, there are times when a violent suspect must be prevented from killing innocent victims or bystanders. SWAT Team members use different firearms systems, including precision, long-range firearms.  When appropriate, the team also utilizes 'less lethal' weapons such as the Taser, impact weapons, and various chemical agents, all employed to prevent the use of police firearms.

 

To maintain the skills necessary to handle high-risk situations, SWAT members train rigorously on a bi-weekly basis. Many SWAT members hold instructor ratings in various disciplines and provide instruction to other Department members and law enforcement agencies.