48386403.pdf

\n\n--- Page 1 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDER TITLE ACCREDITATION Special Response Teams CALEA 46.2.1.a.b.c.d.e Formerly Tactical Teams PRIOR REVISIONS 03/20/00, 03/05/01, PROPONENT UNIT 10/04/05,10/10/2019 Patrol Support Bureau ATTACHMENT: None NUMBER ISSUE DATE REVISION DATE TOTAL PAGES 46.4 07/01/98 06/13/2022 7 I. PURPOSE: This Order describes the policies and procedures regarding the Special Response Group which includes the following Tactical Teams: Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), the Negotiation Response Team (NRT), and Emergency Services Team (EST). II. POLICY: The Gainesville Police Department shall maintain tactical teams (such as SWAT, NRT, EST) to provide specialized support to law enforcement operations III. DEFINITIONS: Special Response Group (SRG): The Special Response Group shall fall under the Patrol Support Bureau. The Special Response Group Commander shall be responsible for overseeing team operations, equipment, and selecting Team Commanders. The Special Response Group Commander shall be chosen at the discretion of the Chief of Police. The SRG Commander will hold the rank of Captain of the Patrol Support Bureau unless the Chief of Police choses a designee. Tactical Teams: Tactical teams comprising of the SRG include, but are not limited to: A. Special Weapons and Tactics Team: The SWAT Team is comprised of specially trained members who can provide tactical support regarding high-risk situations (such as serving warrants and extracting barricaded subjects and hostages). B. Negotiation Response Team: The NRT is comprised of members trained in negotiations who can provide support in high-risk situations and unusual occurrences (such as negotiation for surrender of barricaded subjects or suicidal individuals). C. Emergency Services Team: The EST is comprised of Patrol Operations members specially trained to rapidly respond to critical incidents in order to provide any advanced tactical and medical support. IV. PROCEDURE A. Requesting Assistance: Agency personnel shall refer to appropriate general order(s) and operating procedure(s) for responsibilities in which they are to assume for circumstances in which a tactical team is being called out. [CALEA 46.2.1.a] 1\n\n--- Page 2 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT 1. SWAT/NRT: Any bureau, division, or team commander may request the assistance of the SWAT or NRT in planning or conducting operations requiring a tactical and/or negotiated response. The request for assistance will be made directly to the respective team’s commander. [CALEA 46.2.1.c] 2. EST: Any bureau, division, team or incident commander may request on-duty EST members for an operational mission that indicates an immediate need for tactical assistance. [CALEA 46.2.1.c] B. Deployment: [CALEA 46.2.1.b] 1. The Special Response Group teams may be deployed to support operations when unusual occurrences take place. i. Unusual Occurrences Include: a. Hostage Situations b. Barricaded Subject/ Situation c. Sniper Situations d. High-Risk Apprehension and Apprehension efforts of violent criminal offenders who pose a risk to the public safety of a community. e. High-Risk Warrant Service* i.) The crime types for a warrant service include the following: Violent Crimes, Narcotics Warrants, and ICAC warrants f. Protective Services: Officers provide security services for dignitaries and high profile individuals needing protection which is sometimes requested by outside Law Enforcement Agencies (FBI/FDLE/Secret Service, etc…). g. Special Assignments: Must be designated by the Chief Of Police. These typically are planned large-scale events, which might prompt a team to be placed on stand-by. ii. Decision (other than High Risk Warrants and Special Assignments): The SWAT and/or NRT Commander shall assess the need for calling out their respective teams. When the need to deploy is verified, the Team Commander shall be responsible for activating their team personnel and notifying the SRG Commander (Patrol Support Bureau Commander). If the SRG Commander is unavailable, the notification will be made to an Operations Bureau Captain. 2\n\n--- Page 3 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT During the incident, the SWAT/NRT Commander will supply information to the Incident Commander as to their recommendations for the utilization of their teams if circumstances become exigent. The Incident Commander will decide whether the teams will be utilized or not for the Incident. SWAT members already on scene should be utilized by the Incident Commander for tactical advice and/or personnel. SWAT members may be used as part of a mixed team entry team if exigent circumstances exist. iii. High Risk Warrant Service* where the SWAT team is asked to assist in service of the warrant, shall be reviewed and approved by the Assistant Chief of Police in Patrol Support Bureau prior to it being served. If he/she is unavailable, the Assistant Chief of Police of the Operations Bureau or the Chief of Police, must review and approve the warrant prior to it being served. iv. Warrant Service (other than High Risk) And Special Assignment where the SWAT team is asked to assist in service of the warrant or event, shall be reviewed and approved only by the Chief of Police. He/she must review and approve the warrant prior to it being served. v. When the need to deploy is verified and approved, the Team Commander shall be responsible for activating their team personnel and notifying the SRG Commander, Patrol Support Bureau Commander, and Assistant Chief of Police in Patrol Support Bureau. If the Assistant Chief of Police in Patrol Support Bureau is unavailable, the Assistant Chief of Police in the Operations Bureau or the Chief of Police must be notified. 2. EST: EST members may be deployed to situations involving armed and/or dangerous individuals who pose an immediate threat to citizens and/or law enforcement personnel. i. On Duty: On-duty EST members may immediately respond to any critical incidents. Responding EST members will notify the dispatcher of such intent and shall contact the incident commander/supervisor for response instructions. Incidents Involving Firearms/Deadly Weapons: On-duty EST members should respond to any call involving the use or threatened use of a firearm or other deadly weapon ii. Call-Out of Off-Duty EST Members: In an instance for which a call- out of off-duty EST member(s) may be indicated, the EST Commander shall be contacted for deployment authorization. If the Commander is unavailable, the EST Executive Officer shall be contacted. 3\n\n--- Page 4 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT C. Incident Command: The Incident Commander shall consult with the tactical team commander(s), and shall have authority for overall management of the occurrence until relieved. [CALEA 46.2.1.d] 1. SWAT: The SWAT commander and/or a Team Leader shall have authority for tactical operations directly related to securing the scene (such as inner perimeter, entry or extraction), and for immediate action necessary to prevent imminent harm or escape. 2. NRT: The NRT commander and or a Team Leader shall have authority over the activities and needs related to negotiations-in-progress. 3. EST: If an EST commander is on-scene, he/she will have input over the use and deployment of the EST team member(s). The on-scene incident commander shall have authority over the responding EST member(s), unless or until the EST commander arrives. D. Cooperation and Coordination: [CALEA 46.2.1.e] 1. Between SWAT/NRT: i. To ensure coordination during the course of a high-risk unusual occurrence, the tactical and negotiation team commanders shall consult with the Special Response Group Commander regarding responsibilities and assignments. ii. To safely and successfully resolve a high-risk incident, the SWAT Commander and Incident Commander shall ensure that members at the scene have been advised of their assignments and duties. iii. The NRT commander shall direct a negotiated respon