By Kim Hilsenbeck.
Inside a portable classroom in a remote area of San Marcos, a team of law enforcement officers in camouflaged gear sat listening to an instructor. The officers hail from the Hays County Sheriff’s Office, who wear brown, and the San Marcos Police Department, who wear blue. But when they come together, they are Team Green.
In other words, the Hays County SWAT.
The acronym stands for Special Weapons and Tactics. In 1994, Hays County established the SORT, for Special Operations and Response Team. Three years later, the team expanded to include the San Marcos Police Department and was renamed SWAT.
Such teams within law enforcement agencies across the country are an elite tactical unit trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of normal patrol officer response. SWAT teams are most often called in during hostage rescues, to serve high risk arrest warrants, for counter-terrorism operations and engaging with heavily-armed criminals.
Hays County SWAT members check the effects of their new gas cannister launcher. (photo by Kim Hilsenbeck) |
On this day in late March, about 20 SWAT members listened intently to their instructor, David. This part of the lesson was on using radios during an incident.
Two officers went back and forth on whether a portable tower can be placed on a repeater – the issue had to do with analog vs. digital systems. Lighthearted banter from the other officers offered a break from the seriousness of the day.
“We got a nerd off going.”
“Don’t back down.”
“This is like a public service announcement. My head hurts.”
“I think his nerd is much higher than your nerd.”
And the line that made everyone chuckle, “The geek is strong.”
Kidding aside, the instructor reminded the class that some areas of Hays County have poor or no radio service whatsoever. The issue of the repeater on a tower was not to be taken lightly.
“That’s something we’ve got to resolve,” he said.
The discussion turned to working with other agencies and all the items on the checklist – a surrender plan, a less lethal plan and a force plan – that must happen when SWAT arrives on the scene. Essentially, they have to be prepared for however the situation goes down.
Sometimes working with patrol officers from various agencies within the county creates some stress. SWAT team leaders may have to reposition other officers, get people out of the cross fire and deal with other issues.
One of the team leaders shared his wisdom from a situation in Kyle a few years ago. “Guys, when we show up there’s a lot of things to be looking at, thinking about and probably shouting out to people. If they get offended, they can get counseling later. They need to know these things. We’re probably the ones with the most tactical background to be able to say it to them.”
David reminded the newer guys on the team that they need to ask questions now if they don’t understand what’s being said. None did.
The instructor shifted to a lesson about the proper way to use gas to incentivize someone to come out of a structure. SWAT members don’t just toss in a canister of gas and hope for the best. As David outlined to his students, there is always a plan and a backup plan.
“What’s the goal of the gas plan?” he asked.
“Drive them out,” came the response.
How and where the canister is delivered and other conditions dictate the plans developed by SWAT. There are also different types of gas used – which one depends on factors such as the distance needed to lob the gas into a structure.
Later, the lesson shifted to working with negotiators. SWAT is typically paired up with the Hays County Crisis Negotiation Team when responding to situations that involve hostages and other crises.
While David and other team leaders said they have a strong working relationship with the negotiators, some discussion took place about being “too easy on perps.”
One officer asked, “How about that phrase, ‘We can no longer guarantee your safety?’ I haven’t heard that in a while.”
The juxtaposition of two teams working together toward the same goal but operating in very different manners to achieve it explains the relationship between SWAT and the crisis negotiators.
SWAT, heavily armed with advanced tactical training, pairs up with officers who work to peacefully resolve the conflict through rapport building and talking with a perpetrator.
Yet, John, the director of the training facility and SWAT team leader, said their jobs really aren’t all that different.
“People think we just want to come in and start shooting,” he said. “But we really do want things to end peacefully. We are community members and have families who we want to go home to that night.”
SWAT is there to protect the other officers and provide a heavy duty backup needed to persuade a person to put the gun down and come out. But occasionally, as evidenced in the discussion in the classroom, SWAT wants things to move along faster.
An officer interjected his theory of how to deal with the bad guys, “When you don’t talk, the door comes flying off. Don’t lie to them – we’re going in if they don’t start talking. That’s the reality, that sh** is going to start happening.”
Another officer added, “People all of a sudden get the incentive to know we’re not going away.”
Before the end of the lesson, the group discussed what they called one of the most important elements of their job: communication.
The flow of information up and down the command chain, taking orders from those in charge and finding a way to enhance that communication took up the next 10 minutes of the class. A main theme was proper protocol; on scene, officers use radios, phones and even texting to communicate with each other and with their command staff.
“Does the tactical commander know what the IC just told us to do?” David asked the group rhetorically.
The IC is the incident commander – that’s the designated high-ranking official who is in charge of the scene. But then there is a tactical commander from SWAT.
“The IC should not be giving us orders,” David said. “The Tactical Commander should be our link to the command post.”
The classroom portion of the day’s training ended. SWAT members headed to their vehicles to, as John put it, get their party dresses on. Vests, gas masks and a range of other gear and weapons were needed for this dance.
John took All Around Hays on a tour around the training facility. The gravel crunched underfoot as he walked us past the various training stations and scenario buildings.
At the breaching range, there was a horseshoe shaped freestanding wall with a variety of doors and windows along all three sides.
John explained the wall.
“Each door and window is designed to be broken,” he said. “We teach patrol officers to get inside and clear rooms and make searchable shots on a threat. But what’s overlooked is how to get inside.”
A closer inspection of the wall revealed doors and windows that looked well used, burned and bullet riddled.
“We built this range to practice how to get inside. We teach patrol officers how to use a shotgun to breach a door opened. We also use explosives.”
Other buildings at the training site include a live-fire house, a school/office building and a smaller house where on this day, SWAT was testing out its newest tool.
As recently as a few months ago, one type of gas canister had to be hand-tossed into a building. This presented several challenges, including getting close enough to the structure to throw the gas inside without getting shot by the perpetrator.
The new tool was a gun that shoots the canister inside through a window or other opening.
Gathered around in their full gear, SWAT waited for the armored vehicle to come around the side of the building. All eyes were trained on the vehicle. Out of a turret on the upper rear side of the armored truck came the barrel of the gun with the gas canister.
After a loud boom and breaking of glass, the smoke from the gas poured outside. About seven SWAT members checked out the aftermath of the scenario.
Our portion of the day ended, but SWAT would remain on scene for another six hours, working various training scenarios. They would use the live-fire house to simulate a hostage situation and work on getting “throw” phones inside a structure. Those phones provide a direct means of communication with the bad guys.
John explained that SWAT trains about 20 hours a month, sometimes at the facility, but sometimes in a “real life” mock training situation. A few weeks after our visit to the center, SWAT was engaged with multiple law enforcement and first responder agencies in Hays County at a scenario at the outlet mall in San Marcos.
And while the Hays County SWAT is thankfully not needed very often – they get called out about 20-25 times a year on average – the team remains vigilant and prepared for whatever comes their way.
