Police Tactical Units: The Ones Who Bring Order To Chaos (Introduction and Equipment Section)

Introduction:

In the modern world, when we talk about law enforcement officers, what first comes to our mind are officers in uniform who patrol the streets every day to keep us safe. It is very common for someone to think about patrol officers when law enforcement is mentioned. However, there are officers who use military hardware for missions and resemble soldiers on the battlefield more than regular beat officers. These officers are well-trained and are tasked with handling scenarios that might pose a high risk even to frontline police officers. These units are known as police tactical units. Their main task: Bring Order to Chaos. They are tasked with ending an active threat as quickly as possible, securing suspects, and, most importantly, protecting civilians and hostages at all costs. In this article, we will go through some basic information about SWAT and their personal equipment.

Brief History of Police Tactical Units:

After the Second World War, the United States entered a state of instability, where violent crime was a daily occurrence. The first police tactical unit was established in 1964 by the Philadelphia Police Department in the United States to tackle increasing rates of armed bank robberies. This tactical unit was designated as SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics). Deploying a large number of specially trained officers and considerable firepower, this tactic proved effective in handling heavily armed robbery suspects.

In 1967, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) also established their SWAT team. It was initially designated as the Special Weapons Attack Team, but this name was not accepted by Deputy Chief Edward M. Davis, who instead approved “Special Weapons And Tactics.” The LAPD SWAT team, also known as D-Platoon, is one of the most well-known police tactical units today.

Following the establishment of these two police tactical units, more and more law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and around the world created their own police tactical units to handle extremely dangerous situations that regular officers could not manage. Names of police tactical units vary from place to place. Some examples include the German GSG9, the Japanese SAT, the Hong Kong Police SDU, the British CTSFO, and the French GIGN. However, these units are still commonly classified as SWAT. (For convenience, I will address law enforcement tactical units as SWAT, as this is the common method of referring to these units.)

What do SWAT units really do? SWAT units are usually tasked with handling situations that are too dangerous for regular law enforcement officers and require specialized tactics to minimize casualties and bring order to chaos. Some of these scenarios include barricaded suspects, raids, active shooters, high-risk warrant services, hostage situations, and counter-terrorism. When officers are not deployed, they undergo intense and strict training exercises to maintain peak physical fitness and preparedness for any potential scenario. The main objective of police tactical units is to bring order to chaos—to end a severe and violent situation as quickly as possible and minimize overall casualties.

Priority of Life Model:

A SWAT team’s objective is to save everyone on scene, including innocents and suspects. However, it is impossible to place everyone’s life at top priority. Thus, the Priority of Life model exists as a standard for SWAT officers to follow during operations. The priority is as follows, with 1 being the highest priority and 4 being the lowest:

1. Hostages
2. Innocent civilians
3. Responders (SWAT units themselves, law enforcement officers, and other first responders such as paramedics and firefighters, etc.)
4. Suspects

Personal Equipment and Loadouts:

SWAT officers utilize many more types of tools and equipment than regular officers. Here is some general equipment SWAT officers use:

Long Weapons (Lethal):

Almost every SWAT officer is issued a long weapon. While types and models vary, long weapons ensure officers have adequate firepower to counter heavily armed and extremely dangerous suspects. Weapons include:

1. Assault Rifles/Carbine Rifles/Battle Rifles:

Assault rifles can generally be fired automatically or in semi-automatic mode, depending on the fire selector position.

Their intermediate rifle cartridges or sometimes full-power rifle cartridges (designated as battle rifles, such as the FN FAL and HK G3 rifles firing the powerful 7.62×51 NATO cartridge) ensure accuracy and firepower.

Assault rifles are effective in both long- and short-range engagements and are the most common type of long weapon issued to SWAT officers, slowly replacing sub-machine guns in some law enforcement agencies.

Examples include rifles from the Armalite Rifle 15 family, such as the Colt M4 Carbine series.

Most Western law enforcement agencies do not use AK platform rifles. However, surprisingly, in some northern regions in the U.S., officers prefer AK rifles over AR platform rifles due to their extreme reliability and resistance to malfunctions under harsh conditions. The 7.62×39 rounds used by AK platforms also provide superior penetration and damage compared to the 5.56×45 NATO rounds used by AR rifles.

2. Sub-machine guns:

Sub-machine guns (SMGs) are automatic weapons and can fire either fully automatic or semi-automatic, depending on the fire selector position, similar to assault rifles. SMGs are more compact and lighter compared to assault rifles, and they fire pistol cartridges instead of rifle cartridges.

These rounds provide less penetrating power, which can actually be beneficial in preventing over-penetration, thus reducing the risk of civilian casualties. Sub-machine guns, along with shotguns, are invaluable assets in close-range engagements due to their high rate of fire and compact size, making them extremely suitable for close-quarters combat.

However, sub-machine guns are slowly being phased out by some law enforcement agencies due to their limited penetration and stopping power compared to assault rifles.

Notable examples include the highly reliable and accurate Heckler & Koch MP5 series, which has been adopted by the militaries and law enforcement agencies of over 40 countries.

Some SWAT units use specially designed armor-piercing sub-machine guns, notably the Heckler & Koch MP7 and the FN P90, designed as personal defense weapons (PDWs) for NATO soldiers in non-frontline roles. Chambered in 4.6×30mm HK and 5.7×28mm FN cartridges respectively, these rounds resemble scaled-down versions of the 5.56×45mm NATO intermediate rifle cartridge. They combine high magazine capacity (45 and 50 rounds, respectively), high penetration capability, and high fire rate, enabling these PDWs to easily pierce armor. This combination makes these two weapons invaluable assets, addressing the typical penetration limitations of traditional SMGs when encountering armored suspects.

3. Shotguns (Pump-action/Semi-automatic/Fully-automatic):

Shotguns (usually 12 gauge for law enforcement) are weapons that can fire various types of 12 gauge ammo, from buckshot (which fires a spread of lead beads from a wad inside a cartridge) to slug (which fires a single projectile that can be extremely deadly due to its enormous size), or even breaching ammunition for destroying door hinges, and less lethal beanbag rounds (where regular shot is enclosed in a Kevlar bag and the entire projectile is fired—this causes severe pain and its power can be compared to the punch from a heavyweight boxer).

Shotguns loaded with live ammunition are very deadly in close quarters and can cause dismemberment when a suspect is shot by a shotgun at extremely close range.

These weapons are considered one of the best types of long guns for SWAT officers, who generally engage in close quarter battle scenarios.

However, shotguns have one big drawback. Usually, the shotguns that law enforcement and their tactical units use are magazine tube-fed, meaning that shells have to be loaded individually instead of changing magazines like most other modern firearms. This can lead to slower reloads compared to magazine-fed firearms, even if officers have mastered speed loading skills such as the double load and quad load techniques.

In very recent years, however, arms manufacturers have started to produce more kinds of magazine-fed shotguns, with even some traditional pump-action shotguns now available in magazine-fed variants. Semi-automatic shotguns that are magazine-fed can now be classified into two types: one kind looks more like a traditional shotgun, and the other resembles more of an assault rifle.

Despite the magazines usually having only an 8-round capacity (and 20 rounds for drums), magazine-fed shotguns will definitely help solve the slow reload issue. In the future, we may see more and more tactical officers utilizing magazine-fed shotguns in operations.

One interesting example is the Russian Saiga-12 semi-automatic magazine-fed shotgun, which is based on the AK platform. The French GIGN and the US Coast Guard (the latter being a federal regulatory law enforcement agency during peacetime) have acquired these weapons and issued them to officers in their departments.

Fully-automatic shotguns are the most deadly kind of all shotguns among the three categories. With magazine-fed and full-auto features, fully-automatic shotguns are the kings of shotguns.

However, there are not many SWAT units in law enforcement agencies that use fully-automatic shotguns. One agency that does is the Turkish POLiS Special Operations Department, which has the Daewoo Precision USAS-12 shotgun at its disposal.

4. Sniper Rifles (Bolt-action/Designated Marksman Rifles/Anti-Material Rifles):

Sniper rifles may fire intermediate rifle rounds or full-power rifle rounds depending on the type and model. These firearms are accurate and devastating weapons used by marksmen in SWAT teams to clear threats from concealed positions at long distances.

Because sniper rifles are intended to incapacitate targets with the least amount of shots, they usually have a smaller ammo capacity compared to assault rifles and submachine guns. Sniper rifles can generally be divided into two types: bolt-action sniper rifles and designated marksman rifles (DMRs).

Bolt-action snipers, such as the Remington 700, have to be cycled manually and have a slower firing rate than designated marksman rifles. However, these accurate firearms—such as the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare Police, which the Hong Kong Police SDU issues to officers—only have the bolt moving as the shooter cycles it after firing a shot to chamber another cartridge and eject the spent shell, making it more accurate than their semi-automatic DMRs, such as the Stoner Rifle 25, which the Hong Kong Police SDU also issues to officers.

DMRs have more ammo capacity than bolt-action snipers and can be fired semi-automatically without the need to cycle the bolt manually. Because of their respective advantages, both bolt-action snipers and designated marksman rifles are utilized by law enforcement snipers; police tactical units are no exception.

Anti-materiel rifles fire much larger rounds, such as the 12.7×99mm NATO round and 20mm rounds that are designed to penetrate lightly armored vehicles. Anti-materiel rifles are a special type of sniper rifle—far more deadly and with much higher penetration power than their sniper rifle counterparts—and can cause dismemberment if a person is struck by one of these rounds.

However, ammunition costs and acquiring these rifles are much more expensive. Moreover, the recoil of these rifles is massive, often throwing an officer’s aim off target or, worse, causing shoulder injuries if operated incorrectly.

Despite these drawbacks, some law enforcement agencies still have these powerful rifles as part of their assets. One example is the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which has the M82 Barrett anti-materiel rifle firing the 12.7×99mm NATO cartridge. This rifle is issued to the Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) as one of their two standard-issue sniper rifles.

Machine guns:

Machine guns (MGs) are typically not utilized by SWAT teams due to their high rate of fire and penetration capability, increasing the risk of unintended casualties among civilians or hostages.

However, a few specialized law enforcement agencies worldwide issue machine guns to their SWAT equivalents. For instance, the Brazilian BOPE (Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais), which often handles extremely violent scenarios resembling military operations, employs machine guns such as the Heckler & Koch 21 belt-fed general-purpose machine gun (based on the HK G3 rifle).

In extreme conditions, machine guns can provide sufficient firepower to break stalemates, despite often being considered overkill for typical SWAT operations.

Handguns (Lethal):

Handguns are concealable and standard weapons used by both regular officers and SWAT officers. However, pistols are not frequently used by SWAT officers; they mostly remain holstered unless in emergency situations when officers need to immediately return fire because their primary weapon malfunctions, runs out of ammunition, or when the officer is injured and unable to operate their primary weapon.

Handguns are more frequently used by SWAT officers employing ballistic shields, as one hand is occupied holding the shield, making them unable to operate their primary weapons.

Handguns can be classified into two major types: semi-automatic pistols and revolvers.

1. Semi-automatic Pistols:

Semi-automatic pistols are the most common handguns used by SWAT officers. They generally have a high ammo capacity to provide officers with enough rounds to fight back before switching to their long weapon. Semi-automatic pistols can be fired round after round quickly to defend oneself, ensuring the safety of officers and civilians in the most critical moments.

Common examples include the reliable and lightweight polymer-framed Glock series pistols. The Hong Kong Special Duties Unit currently uses the Glock 17 Gen 3 and its compact variant, the Glock 19 Gen 3, both chambered in 9×19 Parabellum as their standard-issue pistols, which have capacities of 17+1 rounds and 15+1 rounds respectively. Glock pistols do not have a manual safety, though there are three safety mechanisms: the trigger safety, the firing pin safety, and the drop safety.

While these pistols do not have a manual safety, the built-in mechanisms that prevent the gun from firing when dropped ensure the safety of the pistol. Glocks are not designed to be locked manually when not firing; they are designed to be ready to shoot whenever an officer’s life is at stake. As long as operators do not put their finger on the trigger when not intending to shoot (which is a universal firearm safety rule), Glocks will not fire unless the trigger is pulled and the trigger safety is disengaged. Glocks are thus a common option for SWAT units due to their reliability, safety, and readiness to shoot whenever needed.

Some agencies might opt for stopping power over ammo capacity. One example is the Kimber LAPD SWAT Custom II pistol, which was issued to LAPD SWAT officers a few decades ago. It is based on the legendary American Colt Model 1911 pistol that fires the powerful and potent .45 ACP cartridge. While the gun only has a capacity of 7+1 rounds, the stopping power ensures that officers have a capable sidearm to defend themselves and innocent civilians when needed.

Other agencies value both penetration power and magazine capacity, thus entering the Fabrique Nationale Herstal Five-seveN, a 20+1 capacity magazine-fed pistol chambered in 5.7×28mm FN. Due to its penetration power—being able to easily penetrate police-issued Kevlar bulletproof vests—and its extensive use in the Mexican War on Drugs, the Five-seveN is known as the “Cop Killer.”

However, it is also seen in a positive light, being one of the most reliable and trustworthy sidearms SWAT officers could bet their lives on, especially when dealing with armored suspects or when an officer needs to quickly empty a magazine into a suspect in extreme emergencies. This pistol’s slide and frame are both made of polymer, resulting in a much lighter pistol, while its superior magazine capacity is thanks to its smaller 5.7×28mm cartridge. The United States Secret Service (USSS), Passaic County Sheriff’s SWAT team, Landis Police Department, and Duluth Police Department have Five-seveNs issued to their officers. While the Five-seveN is forever marked as the grim reaper of law enforcement officers, it is also one of the most reliable pistols when it finds itself in the hands of a law enforcement officer.

2. Revolvers:

Revolvers (also known as wheel guns) are handguns that use a revolving cylinder typically holding 5-8 rounds, depending on the model. Revolvers generally fire more powerful handgun cartridges than semi-automatic pistols, thus dealing significantly greater damage.

Some agencies still use revolvers due to their superior stopping power and accuracy compared to semi-automatic pistols. However, revolvers have two major drawbacks:

First, their heavy recoil reduces the rate of fire when multiple shots are required to incapacitate a threat.

Second, their ammunition capacity is low compared to conventional semi-automatic pistols, necessitating frequent reloading, potentially leaving an officer vulnerable during critical moments.

Less Lethal Weapons:

Less lethal weapons are also utilized by police tactical units. These weapons can incapacitate a suspect and reduce reliance on lethal force. Unfortunately, in certain situations, less lethal weapons can still cause severe injuries or even death.

Tasers:

Tasers are conducted energy weapons (CEWs) that fire barbed probes into a suspect’s muscles, delivering an electrical shock of up to 50,000 volts when the barbs create a circuit with the target’s body.

Tasers also can stun suspects via direct contact (drive-stun mode) when the cartridge is removed, allowing officers to prevent suspects from regaining aggressive behavior after a shot either hits or misses.

Despite their high voltage, tasers are considered less lethal, although they may cause death in rare instances, such as triggering pre-existing medical conditions like heart disease. Tasers are ineffective against suspects wearing thick clothing or armor because the barbs fail to penetrate and complete the electrical circuit.

To discourage misuse, taser cartridges such as the X26 deploy confetti-like AFID tags upon firing, providing traceable evidence. Currently, the Hong Kong Police are considering equipping officers with tasers, but import bans imposed by the United States during the 2019 protests have delayed this.

OC/CS/PAVA Chemical Weapons (Pepper Spray, Tear Gas Grenades, Pepperball Launchers):

OC/CS/PAVA chemical weapons such as pepper sprays and tear gas grenades are commonly used in law enforcement. These weapons contain oleoresin capsicum (OC) and/or 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile (CS). OC/CS weapons are extremely irritating, causing severe irritation (burning sensations and extreme pain) in the eyes and temporary blindness. OC and CS are both hydrophobic, meaning that they are insoluble in water. Thus, it is difficult to wear off the effects of OC/CS chemical weapons by washing the affected areas with water.

Officers and SWAT units have pepper sprays, commonly OC or OC/CS combined pepper sprays, at their disposal, but usage is limited due to possible effects of blowback, which can affect the officer deploying the chemical weapon instead. SWAT units are often more frequently seen using tear gas grenades, either hand-thrown tear gas grenades or 40mm tear gas grenades launched by grenade launchers. This allows the irritant gas to quickly fill an entire room compared to pepper sprays, allowing officers to incapacitate suspects quickly.

Pepperball launchers are also issued to SWAT units in law enforcement. They are often paintball guns or specially designed pepperball long guns that launch pepperballs similar to paintballs, except the former contain PAVA or pelargonic acid vanillylamide instead of paint and are more potent than CS.

Overall, OC/CS/PAVA chemical weapons are an invaluable asset in SWAT units due to their versatility and many variations. Having the least possibility to cause unintended deaths, along with their effectiveness to cause pain, allows officers to quickly subdue suspects without causing much harm. Though in rare cases, chemical weapons used by SWAT can irritate the respiratory system so badly that it may have quite severe consequences (such as an individual going unconscious after contact with these irritant less-lethal weapons).

Less Lethal Impact Projectile Weapons (Beanbag Shotguns, Less Lethal Foam 40mm Grenades, Stinger Grenades):

Less lethal impact projectile weapons are weapons that launch projectiles at a lower speed than their lethal counterparts. The intention is to cause pain and potentially disable a suspect. Common examples include:

Beanbag Shotguns:

These guns fire sock rounds (a regular shot but the pellets are loaded in a Kevlar bag to dampen and spread the impact area, which renders the round less lethal), loaded with a smaller amount of charge to limit the speed of the beanbag so that the round will not penetrate a suspect’s tissues, though the power can still be compared to a punch from a heavyweight boxer.

Beanbag shotguns usually have parts in bright colors (green, yellow, or orange) and sometimes clear markings (such as “LESS LETHAL”) to prevent officers from loading live ammunition by mistake and causing unintended casualties.

Since beanbag rounds have a reduced amount of propellant to prevent over-penetration, the shotguns used are usually pump-action, as semi-automatic shotguns rely on the standard gas pressure generated by the propellant of live ammunition to cycle the weapon.

Unfortunately, beanbag shotguns can cause death if a beanbag strikes the head, causing head trauma, or if a beanbag hits the torso and penetrates, damaging vital organs.

One example is from March 6, 2024, in Fullerton, California. FPD officers deployed beanbags against a suspect, identified as Rios, who was under the influence of drugs and armed with a belt, swinging it outside a McDonald’s restaurant. Unfortunately, one beanbag penetrated Rios’ chest cavity and he was fatally wounded. Rios was pronounced deceased at a hospital after the incident.

Beanbag shotguns are also proven ineffective against suspects who wear armor or are under the influence of drugs, on top of having the potential to kill suspects unintentionally.

Officers are trained to aim at the abdomen when deploying beanbags to prevent incidents like what happened to Rios, which, while unlikely, can be deadly if similar accidents happen.

Foam Grenade Launchers:

These are grenade launchers modified to launch less lethal foam grenades. The projectile is simply foam, but its power is not to be underestimated.

Being a significantly larger projectile than a 12-gauge sock round and also being launched at high speeds, the foam grenade launcher can cause significant pain when it hits a suspect.

Foam grenade launchers are not used by all law enforcement agencies, however. The most well-known example of foam grenade launchers being utilized is the LAPD, with LMT Tactical Single Launcher break-action grenade launchers being used to disorient suspects.

However, their drawbacks are similar to beanbag shotguns: they are ineffective against armored suspects or targets under the influence of drugs.

Stinger Grenades:

Stinger grenades are a combination of less lethal grenades and less lethal projectile launchers.

Stinger grenades launch many rubber balls when they explode, combined with either a blinding flash or the release of irritant gas such as CS gas.

This is an effective weapon as it combines the effects of a less lethal projectile launcher and a flashbang or CS gas grenade.

Stinger grenades can produce sounds up to 170 dB when they explode, similar to flashbangs, which can temporarily deafen suspects, disorienting them and allowing officers time to neutralize the threat.

Visual/Auditory Disorienting Devices:

Visual/auditory disorienting devices are devices that temporarily activate all photoreceptors in a suspect’s retinas in both eyes and produce a noise so loud that it temporarily deafens the suspects. Note that while these devices effectively disorient suspects and provide officers valuable time to clear a room, they can lead to permanent blindness and/or hearing damage.

Flashbangs:

Flashbangs are less lethal grenades that produce a loud sound up to 170 dB and release a bright flash from 600-800 million candela when they explode. This both deafens the suspect and triggers all the photoreceptors in a suspect’s eyes within around 1.5 meters, blinding the suspect for approximately 5 seconds. Afterwards, the suspect will still perceive afterimages which impair their vision. In some cases, flashbangs can cause permanent deafness or blindness.

Flashbangs have variants such as the Nine Bang. Nine Bangs work similarly to flashbangs except they have 9 separate smaller charges in one device that explode one after another. Although the power is reduced, with 9 separate explosions, this is more effective in disorienting suspects, especially those who might try to flee the vicinity of the explosion when the Nine Bang is tossed into a room.

However, since flashbangs create the flash by burning magnesium and ammonium nitrate, both of which are oxidizing, flashbangs can cause fires if they explode near objects that can easily be ignited. An example is the British Special Air Service’s assault on the London Iranian Embassy in 1980, when a flashbang was tossed into the embassy, a curtain caught on fire due to the flashbang and burned a team leader of the SAS who got stuck on his rappel system while rappelling into the embassy.

Personal Equipment:

SWAT officers have a variety of equipment to assist them during operations. Let’s look at some of the equipment that is frequently utilized by these tactical law enforcement units.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):

Personal protective equipment can come in a variety of shapes and forms, covering many different aspects to protect an officer’s life and ensure they can complete the mission and serve their community. Examples include:

Ballistic Equipment (Plate Carriers, Ballistic Helmets, Lap Protectors, and Pauldrons):

Ballistic equipment can save an officer’s life if they are unfortunately hit. Sometimes, the difference between life and death for a SWAT officer is only a hair’s breadth. Ballistic gear is an absolute necessity for any SWAT unit putting their lives on the line to conduct the most dangerous tasks to keep us safe.

Plate Carriers:

Plate carriers are vests that can have armor plates inserted to provide bulletproof capabilities. (NOTE: A plate carrier is NOT a bulletproof vest as plate carriers DO NOT have bulletproof capabilities without the armor plates. Bulletproof vests are soft vests made with a bulletproof material called Kevlar. Bulletproof vests cannot have armor plates inserted and can only reach NIJ level 3A at most, which can stop most pistol ammunition up to the powerful .44 Magnum.)

Usually, the plates are ceramic (consisting of many hexagonal ceramic plates that will break upon impact to disperse the impact) or steel.

The former is lighter than steel and has no risk of spalling (a spray of metal fragments that might cause injuries), but the latter is generally more durable. Both types are used in plate carriers.

Plate carriers are designed to protect the vital organs of the torso, so they have a small coverage area to allow mobility.

Plate carriers also generally have a Modular Lightweight Load-Carrying Equipment (MOLLE) system that allows pouches to be attached. This is super convenient for officers to carry extra accessories and equipment in positions that can be quickly accessed.

Pauldrons/Lap Protectors/Helmets:

These are bulletproof equipment that can provide extra coverage for the shoulders and from the waist to the groin area. Usually, these armor pieces can stop pistol rounds and fragments from explosions such as grenade shrapnel.

While the protection is limited, these are vital for SWAT officers, especially the lap protector. Not only do they provide an extra layer of protection, they also reduce the risk of an officer being disabled during an operation.

In human anatomy, we have a part called the pelvic girdle located at our waist. In a nutshell, if this part is shot, the entire pelvic girdle is destabilized and our femur will fall out of its socket, becoming completely unusable. This means a person who is shot in the pelvic girdle cannot walk. If a SWAT officer is hit in the pelvic girdle and can’t move, they will be in a very dangerous state, as they cannot move away quickly from danger. Thus, when a lap protector is utilized, it gives officers a chance to prevent being hit in this vital body part for mobility—the pelvic girdle.

Helmets are headgear worn by officers to protect their heads from impacts and, in some cases, can even save them from a headshot. Helmets today are very versatile and can have many useful gear attached (e.g., night-vision goggles, flashlights, etc.). Helmets are bulletproof up to NIJ Level IIIA, which protects officers when hit by handguns with calibers up to .44 Magnum.

Personal Protective Equipment (Hazardous Environment):

Equipment including gas masks and hazmat suits is extremely important, as sometimes SWAT officers may handle situations involving CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear weapons). These ensure the safety of SWAT officers while they operate in some of the most hostile environments.

Gas Masks:

Gas masks consist of a mask that can have filter cans attached to them. The filters remove harmful substances and prevent the officer from breathing them in during operations. Gas masks have a communication diaphragm that allows officers to speak clearly while being protected.

Additionally, some gas masks are compatible with communication systems, allowing the utmost convenience in communicating with teammates while staying safe. SWAT officers also use gas masks when deploying tear gas to prevent themselves from being irritated by the gas.

Hazmat Suits:

In situations involving CBRN, SWAT officers will wear specially designed hazmat suits that will protect their entire body from environmental threats.

A hazmat suit is not commonly used by SWAT units compared to gas masks, due to the suit losing its capability to protect officers once damaged, and the suits themselves might hinder mobility.

Hazmat suits are also not bulletproof, meaning that once the suit is hit (despite the officers wearing their armor on top), the protection is immediately compromised due to the suit being damaged.

Breaching/Entry Equipment:

Breaching/entry equipment is used for breaching doors to gain access to different locations. While some focus on entering quietly, others are designed for aggressive entry. The tools utilized in operations depend on the situation and tactics used by the team.

Lockpicks/Snap Guns:

These tools are useful for picking a pin tumbler lock. The former is quieter while the latter is quicker. By utilizing these tools with skill, SWAT officers can unlock doors with pin tumbler locks quickly and quietly. Lockpicks and snap guns are extremely useful in unlocking doors and entering quickly and quietly.

Breaching Charges:

Breaching charges are explosives that explode to force open or even destroy a door. For law enforcement, most breaching charges are water charges, which consist of water bags in front of the explosive.

Once the charge explodes, the water provides a powerful force that can force open or destroy doors. Breaching charges might disorient anyone in a room and even injure or kill anyone standing directly behind a door being breached.

Battering Ram:

Battering rams are metal, cylinder-shaped tools with handles designed to breach doors. The ram is reeled back and sent towards the door with full force by a breacher.

Oftentimes, doors can be forced open with a single knock, effectively swinging the door open. However, there are cases that require multiple knocks to breach a door.

A battering ram is a slightly quieter method than using explosives or breaching shotguns, but is still considered a loud method of breaching.

Battering rams usually will also fully open a door when breaking the lock, providing quick access to a room officers need to clear.

Breaching Shotguns:

Breaching shotguns are regular or, more often, shortened shotguns, both of which are loaded with frangible breaching rounds to break door locks and/or door hinges to breach a door.

The 12-gauge breaching round is designed to disperse upon impact into powder. These rounds are known as “master key” in law enforcement due to their ease of use in breaching locks. Also, the use of these rounds prevents risks of injury to officers and bystanders due to ricocheting, compared to other types of 12-gauge ammunition such as buckshot.

Breaching shotguns have another advantage: they can double up as a backup weapon in combat, even though not designed for this purpose. Breaching rounds are still very deadly if fired directly at a human. Thus, SWAT officers can use the breaching shotguns to quickly return fire to a target in extreme emergencies when they are unable to switch back to conventional firearms in time.

Tactical Equipment:

Tactical equipment assists officers in their field of work in various ways. The types of tools vary, but they are all very helpful in assisting officers to handle a situation safely and allow them to finish the mission safely.

Ballistic Shields:

Ballistic shields are similar to plate carriers with plates, except they are usually a huge, rectangular-like board that covers a large area of the officer.

Ballistic shields, even though they have similar ballistic capabilities as plate carriers with plates, are not designed for defending an officer’s life if the officer is unfortunately hit in their torso like the plate carrier. Instead, ballistic shields are designed for more offensive purposes, to tank any incoming fire from suspects. This allows officers to stay covered while returning fire towards the suspects.

Shields can come in different sizes and shapes. Most ballistic shields have bulletproof visors that allow officers to see at a limited angle, though vision might be limited when the visor is hit and cracked by incoming rounds. Ballistic shields are heavy and require to be handheld, thus an officer using a shield cannot use a primary weapon. Instead, the officer is forced to use their sidearm when using a ballistic shield.

There is another type of ballistic shield called the mobile ballistic shield. These shields are much larger and provide much larger coverage, sometimes allowing multiple officers to be covered without forming a single file line. Mobile ballistic shields are not designed to be held by hand; instead, they can come in the form of vehicle-mounted shields to cover officers on exposed parts of vehicles, robot-mounted, or wheel-mounted like a hand truck that can be conveniently pushed or moved around to provide protection on the move.

Individual First-Aid Kit (IFAK):

Almost every officer has an IFAK on the back of their tactical belts. IFAKs contain all necessary items needed for emergency first aid. IFAKs are a huge lifesaver when an officer is injured and requires medical intervention to control their injury, allowing them to finish the mission or survive while being evacuated to a hospital.

Tourniquets (TQs):

Almost every officer has tourniquets with them. Tourniquets are essential tools for officers. They can be applied to the arms or thighs, then tightened using the windlass to stop blood circulation, preventing excessive blood loss and saving an officer’s life when wounded in their limbs and losing blood.

There is a white label on the tourniquets that can be marked with pens or markers to note the time of application. Despite tourniquets being essential tools in stopping bleeding, wearing a tourniquet for an extended period can cause the cells of the limbs to die, eventually leading to the requirement of amputating the affected limb.

Helmet-Worn Night-Vision Goggles:

Night-vision goggles are useful tools that allow officers to see in dark areas without the risk of revealing their positions using flashlights. Night-vision goggles have different types, though they generally generate a colored view of a landscape (such as green or white) to allow officers to observe areas in the dark easily.

NVGs can be used alongside IR laser modules, so the officer can aim with the IR laser in a canted weapon position for close quarters without exposing their location, as IR lasers cannot be seen with the naked eye—almost always the case for suspects. Night-vision goggles are sometimes preferred over flashlights, as bright light may wash out visual details, such as what an individual is holding or their appearance—important information for officers to assess threats.

Helmet-Worn Flashlights:

Helmet-worn flashlights serve a similar purpose to night-vision goggles, allowing officers to see in the dark. Alongside weapon-mounted flashlights, helmet-worn flashlights are convenient as the light follows the head’s movement.

This means that wherever the officer looks, the path in front of the head will be illuminated, providing important visibility in dark areas, just like night-vision goggles. Flashlights are useful for lighting up dark areas and extremely tight spaces, such as under a bed or in gaps.

Chemlights:

Chemlights are glow sticks used for marking and identification purposes. These lights are extremely useful for marking rooms that are cleared and for team identification purposes (for example, officers in a team might have blue or red chemlights worn on their plate carriers to identify them as members of the blue and red teams, respectively).

Handcuffs/Flexicuffs:

Handcuffs and flexicuffs are both restraining tools. Handcuffs are made of metal; they can be chained, rigid, or hinged. Handcuffs are more durable than flexicuffs but are typically heavier and noisier to carry.

Along with these disadvantages, SWAT officers usually don’t have handcuff pouches on their plate carriers, which means each officer can only restrain one or two suspects at most.

Flexicuffs, on the other hand, are zip ties designed as handcuffs. They are made of plastic and are much lighter and quieter than handcuffs. Flexicuffs are also foldable and can be easily carried with the plate carrier; flexicuffs can also be preset to allow officers to quickly restrain suspects. In most situations, SWAT officers usually have to face several suspects and are required to restrain everyone on scene for safety, so suspects (if any) can be sorted out from civilians after an active threat is cleared.

Despite the fact that flexicuffs are single-use only and vulnerable to cutting tools and heat, these cuffs are carried by SWAT officers due to their utmost convenience. Now, there are flexicuffs available to officers that are cut and heat resistant, and can be used repeatedly.

Multi-tools:

Multi-tools are common among SWAT officers. These are small carry items that have a lot of tools stored in them (such as knives, lockpicks, wire cutters, etc.). Multi-tools can be used for unlocking a locked door for a stealthy entry, or defusing explosives when it is too risky for bomb disposal technicians to take care of them during an active threat. Multi-tools are compact but handy tools that are almost a must for officers to carry.

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In the next article, I will cover more about SWAT officers’ equipment and discuss some Rules of Engagement in SWAT units. Stay tuned for the next article of the Police Tactical Units series.