Class 14-17 Week #11
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Week #11, Specialty Units, SWAT
Ride-along Report: One student had the opportunity to ride along with Officer Matt Cotter. They responded to a couple of minor speeding incidents; an interesting development was that one of the speeders wanted to know how to trade his speeding ticket in exchange for becoming a confidential informant. Officer Cotter took the man’s information, and a detective will follow up with an interview. Lt. Josh Bound elaborated on his efforts to create a Peer Support Group within the Sandwich PD in response to an incident several years ago involving an infant. Lt. Bound had to provide CPR to the baby, who subsequently died. Lt. Bound built on his own emotional trauma to establish a network of mental health professionals who are always available to counsel an officer who has gone through emotional stress during the course of his or her job. Fellow officers can provide day-to-day support, but it helps to have a trained third party step in to show an officer how to deal with the stress and work through it. The class then met members of the Cape Cod Regional Law Enforcement Council SWAT team, led by Barnstable PD Sgt. Mike Damery. Sandwich Sgt. Chris McDermott is a member of the team, along with officers from Yarmouth, Dennis, Orleans, and Brewster. Sgt. Damery described the very intensive physical fitness evaluation that prospective members go through before they even make it to an interview. Once selected, team members are required to repeat the physical fitness test twice a year, attend monthly training exercises, attend a 40-hour SWAT school, and attend quarterly range training. |
All members carry all of their equipment with them when they respond to an incident, which could involve an active shooter situation or a hostage situation, among other things. They carry a rifle, a Glock, night vision goggles, a gas mask, a taser, and wear tactical body armor. The team also includes an EMT/paramedic, who is unarmed but who carries everything he needs to treat minor to major injuries during an incident. Response time for the team is usually 20 minutes, depending on where everybody is and where the incident is. Unfortunately, Sgt. Damery didn’t bring the Bearcat, the armored vehicle the team uses for incidents. It remained behind in Dennis.
Lt. Bound and Officer Gilrein then discussed the PD’s use of ATVs and mountain bikes. The ATVs are used primarily for search and rescue and are able to respond quickly to remote locations. The mountain bike unit, which is about to be resurrected according to Lt. Bound, can move quickly and quietly throughout various parts of town, enabling officers to get out into the community and interact with people on a more personal level. The PD also has a program called Project Lifesaver, which focuses on people with a history of wandering due to such things as autism, dementia, or Alzheimer’s. Officers are trained to recognize patterns of behavior and are able to anticipate where a wanderer will most likely go. Donna Leiss, Contributing Editor |
NEXT WEEK”S CLASS: Class will meet Sandwich K9 Koda, the amazing drug-sniffing dog and her handler Officer Matt O’Brien.
This is the last class of this year’s Citizens Academy! If you want to continue to be involved, make sure to become an Alumni Volunteer; we are active all year long and have lots of fun.
This is the last class of this year’s Citizens Academy! If you want to continue to be involved, make sure to become an Alumni Volunteer; we are active all year long and have lots of fun.
NOTE: Prior to next week’s class, members should meet at the PD on Main Street at 6:00 p.m. for the class photo.
Class will then meet at the COA as usual afterwards.
Class will then meet at the COA as usual afterwards.
Photos courtesy of Pauline Fortin and Bob Nichols.