# P1 Exclusive: “Community Oriented” SWAT



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

*SWAT Officer*
with Lt. Dan Marcou

The elderly WWII Veteran bravely made his way across to street to see what the men in black were doing in his neighborhood. Some people may have hesitated, but this man had crossed Europe with the 3rd Army, while being shot at, and his old hero could see these people were friend not foe. The old warrior admired the black helmet and weapon of the modern warrior, standing guard at a large van marked "POLICE." He knew enough about action to know that the intensity had passed-he could see they were just "mopping up"-and he could now move in and ask his questions. 
"Young man, what brings you to my neighborhood?" asked the old vet.
The young helmeted and vested police officer smiled at the old gentleman and answered, "We're the COSWAT Team," said the officer. 
"What is the COSWAT Team?" asked the gentleman, who was happily watching his drug-dealing neighbors as they were being led from the blighted two story piece of trash that stood in the middle of his block. They had turned his friendly little neighborhood into hell.
"The COSWAT Team is Community Oriented Special Weapons and Tactics Team. We listened to your complaints about this house and now we are here to solve this problem in your neighborhood. Feel free to call this number if the problem returns," said the officer. The officer handed the man a card.
The old man smiled and said quietly, "Thank you officer. God bless you."
In the 1990's, the Federal Government pumped millions of dollars into local law enforcement and (on paper) added 100,000 new police officers committed to Community Policing. It was like a new dance step that had swept the nation.
To some agencies it meant a one percent increase in personnel that was removed from "policing" to do something called "community policing." That lasted until the funding ran out and then those positions were history.
To some, community policing was a philosophy not program or a position. The philosophy is practiced by an agency and cost nothing. It is a philosophy, which when practiced can be a powerful tool. Here's a secret though: it's not new. The best beat cops have always done it-the just called it "policing." The "community oriented" was implicit and unstated, but understood. You can't be your best as street cop if you forget that it's the community that you are out there for. You can't be as good a community oriented police officer as want to be if you forget that policing is what you are out there for.
You might ask, "Why is a columnist who writes about SWAT talking about community policing?" Well because a SWAT Team can be a valuable asset to any community when the team embraces the concept of being apart of and not apart from the community, they serve. Many SWAT Teams have been doing this for years. SWAT Teams are one of the only problem solving teams that are on call 24 hours a day seven days a week.

Full Article: http://www.policeone.com/community-policing/articles/1787649-P1-Exclusive-Community-Oriented-SWAT/


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