how do you join or make it on a swat team?

Question

i am considering the swat team as a career option. now i was wondering if you have to be a street cop first, like the ones that go around in a patrol car. i just want to know all information on it, so if anyone can help me out i would appreciate it. i really dont want to have to be a street cop, so i would like information on it. i would also like some websites that would give information. thanks

Answer 1

SWAT personnel are generally drawn from the ranks of experienced personnel of the department in question. Often they are prior military veterans. Some departments, such as the LAPD, make a specific point of recruiting from special operations vets for their SWAT teams.

Don't count on joining SWAT without being a street cop for several years. SWAT is the closest to pure military operations a PD does--and they don't want just anybody doing it.

For SWAT-related sites, I recommend doin a Google search on the subject, and look up specific departments' sites. Good luck.

Answer 2

Good question for a recruiter, but a SWAT team member is an elite member of the regular police force. I imagine you will first have to be a normal cop first, and "pay your dues" by being a street cop to gain the experience and judgement needed to be on a SWAT team, which probably involves more than just blowing away everybody you see like on a video game.
How about joining the CIA or FBI? If you want some real adventure they might give it to you. I'm sure to have a college degree will help you in all these goals.

Answer 3

First of all if you are getting your ideas from television or from the movies then forget it. NOTHING that you see on tv or the movies is realistic and give a wrong impression of police work. First you have to be hired as a police officer which is not easy to do. Assuming that you do get hired you go to the academy and upon graduation spend about three months riding with an experienced officer(s). After that you will be on the street working as a uniformed patrol officer for at least several years before you would ever have the experience to work in SWAT. There is no such thing as a SWAT agent. In fact on many departments SWAT officers work as patrol officers until there is a SWAT call out and then they respond either from home or from their beats.

Answer 4

If you don't want to work on the street, then find another career.

You will be expected to spend a minimum of 3 to five years on the street learning the job before you are eligible for transfer to any specialized unit (SWAT, detective, etc.)

During those initial years, you will be learning the basics of policing, without witch you won't be worth anything in a special unit.

After that time, you will be ELIGIBLE to COMPETE for an open position when one becomes available. That means that you have to be the best one trying out. If you spent the last 3-5 years doing something you didn't want to do (being a street cop) then you will be outclassed by a bunch of guys who put their all into their job every day.

Answer 5

a SWAT team menber is a police officer.

You must work as a normal police officer, depending on the department the time frame is diffrent lengths before you can try for SWAT.

they will have testing for Swat members as positions open. you test for it and then they decide. also just becuase you get on swat doesnt mean you will always be on swat.

why would you not want to be a street cop 1st. that is like saying you dont want to start driving a regular car 1st you just want to jump into a dragster.

You need years on the street to develop the maturaty on the job to be able to preform in the situations that swat handles.

you would not last long if you didnt have the time on the street to learn the ropes.

Answer 6

First off, you don't consider any special forces for a career, they consider you and in most cases reject you. Secondly I would think that anybody who wanted to join the special forces section of anything would have the presence of mind to find web sites for themselves. Perhaps you just want to tell people you want to be in the special forces. Why didn't you choose the Special Air Service or the Rangers?

Answer 7

Pass the test for moral and physical cowardice. Once that's established, they figure it's fine for you to hide away at 300 yards and snipe women and children as done in Waco and Ruby Ridge.

Nothing personal, just my opinion of SWAT snipers as a concept.

Answer 8

im lethal with a fly swatter! my team won the silver our first time out!!