SWAT Team uniforms

[Sgt. Saunders]

I hope I don't step on any toes here, but I've got a question. The other day the local Police in my area were out looking for some guy that was wanted for a shooting. They called out their SWAT Team to assist in the search and all these guys show up in camoflage BDU's, boonie hats and all. They were all middle aged out of shape guys as far as I could tell. As a matter of fact, some were down right fat and looked a little ridiculous walking around in their condition dressed like that.I didn't make to much about it but then a buddy asked me why they were dressed like that. I couldn't give him a honest answer because when you stop and think about it, the question begs, why do urban SWAT Officers dress like that? Is that type of uniform needed,does it serve a purpose or is this a case of a bunch of wannabes playing G.I. Joe? In my town the SWAT Team wears black BDU's and they look like what they are,urban Police Officers, not soldiers. What gives?

[Coastie 585]

Is that type of uniform needed,does it serve a purpose or is this a case of a bunch of wannabes playing G.I. Joe?

This is where you will get yelled at for. That was uncalled for, and down right rude. It depends on the areas, in my town, there is alot of urban, and rural areas, all TAC(SWAT) officers have Camo BDU's, and Black BDU's. Also, in most areas I know of you have to pass a Physical Fitness test every year to be on teh SWAT team, I do not know why they were overweight/out of shape, Maybe that PD just needs to get their stuff together

I do not know why they wore that, call, and ask the PD.

[txinvestigator1]

This is where you will get yelled at for. That was uncalled for, and down right rude. It depends on the areas, in my town, there is alot of urban, and rural areas, all TAC(SWAT) officers have Camo BDU's, and Black BDU's. Also, in most areas I know of you have to pass a Physical Fitness test every year to be on teh SWAT team, I do not know why they were overweight/out of shape, Maybe that PD just needs to get their stuff together

I do not know why they wore that, call, and ask the PD.

IF they ARE fat and out of shape and wearing standard cammies, he may have called a spade a spade.

Anyone see the SWAT Challange on ESPN2?

[Metallic4]

I actually found Sgt. Saunders question somewhat humorous because I have seen departments with SWAT teams such as he described. They tend to be the smaller to mid-size departments where the SWAT team isn't very active, unlike say a department like LAPD who has multiple activities per day.
I don't think that there is a right answer to this question though. Perhaps the department got those uniforms cheap, they were donated, etc. If it is a sheriffs department or a rural department they might use camo because they could be usually working in forested areas.

[Ghost 1]

My SWAT unit has different uniforms for different missions. The one that is worn the most is the OD green flight suit. Its easy/quick to get on,and comfortable to wear. We have standard woodland camo for the snipers and for team operations in a wooded area. And we are toying with the idea of slate gray BDU's for night missions as the black just stands out too much against shadows when you are using them for concealment. And from personal experience,black BDU's SUCK. Especially in the south where we have only 2 seasons,Christmas and summer. ;)

[Moose63845]

Umm if you live in the Chicagoland area and are talking about the search for a man that was believed to have shot and killed a teenage boy in Elmhurst, and the SWAT teams were called in to search in a Park for the Arborist that was quite possibly hiding in the woods conected to the park. Then the reason is because they were in the woods, and wore woodland camo for that reason. As far as the out of shape thing goes, part of it would be the gear. And I can tell you for sure that all Elmhurst ERT members are required to pass the PT test at the 21 year old level no matter how old you are. I can't attest for the other PD's that were called out to help, but I didn't see any out of shape guys on the news footage, if this is the search that you are talking about.

[Ghost 1]

but I didn't see any out of shape guys on the news footage, if this is the search that you are talking about.

Its a different unit than what you are talking about. Thats my team and we're in south Ga. The point I was trying to make is that the gear makes you look a lot larger than you really are.

[Moose63845]

I know it does, and I was referring to the footage in my area that I don't think I can find. That had no out of shape guys, but the gear made them look rounder.

[Ghost 1]

Never mind about my link anyway. They have already taken the video down. I didn't realize it before I posted it.

[Sgt. Saunders]

This Elmhurst area, is it a dangerous part of town, is that why the Police wear the Army uniforms?

[Switchback]

Elmhurst is not particularly dangerous.

Most the tac units in the Chicago area (at least those with whom I am familiar) favor the nomex (OD green) flight suits, blacks or woodland cammo. We are no different, generally speaking. We also wear Royal Robbin 911 pants and a black t, mock turtle neck or polo short for instances when we want a "softer" appearance.

Another consideration for the guys in camoflage onthe search... perhaps they just came from training. We often wear our camoflage at the range.

"Army uniforms" may be a matter of saving money. Some PDs may look to the military surplus for equipment/uniforms (DRMO).

Regarding fit, well, that is a matter of team preference. It's all about professionalism, pride in yourself and a desir eto excel. Some have it, some don't.

[Moose63845]

The SWAT teams in the area all wear Fatigues, or BDU's for you non Marines. Reason because they are tactical uniforms, and a tactical team wears tactical uniforms. The reason for the Woodland was probably because of the fact that they were in the Woods. Otherwise it probably would have been black, seing as that is typicaly the only uniform that the Elmhurst ERT wears. And the Police don't wear army uniforms, the SWAT teams do. The police wear Police Uniforms. And Elmhurst is pretty quite by most standards, last big shooting was probably about 10 or more years ago, when a guy walked into Arby's and shot a kid. Other than that we had a guy poping rounds off out of an apartment window about 5-7 years ago. And several drive bys that weren't really covered in the news a few years ago.

[Sgt. Saunders]

I see. So in other words, the SWAT Team members are not the Police is that correct? What are they then?

[Moose63845]

It depends on the town some towns/counties have full time SWAT teams that are only SWAT teams. Other towns have SWAT teams that are SWAT teams when they are needed. When they are a SWAT team they are not acting like normal police officers, just like a riot team or bomb squad are made up of police officers, but when they are in their role of riot team or bomb squad or SWAT team they are doing a different job than street cop, and therefor need a different uniform. It's like saying why do SWAT team members carry Rifles, Shotguns, Sub guns, and battering rams? Police officers don't need that stuff to talk to joe schmo about his missing dog, or to handle a noise complaint, or a low risk traffic stop. But SWAT team members aren't acting as normal police officers, that is why they wear level III body armor, helmets, baclavas(sp?), and carry the fun stuff, where as "normal" police officers don't need it so they don't carry it on them all the time.

[txinvestigator1]

A SWAT team is simply another division of a department. Some agencies are large enough to have a full-time division where the officers are assigned strictly to SWAT.

Other agencies use officers from different divisions to form a team or teams. These officers are assigned to whatever division, uniform, detective, traffic, juvenile, etc. However they train together and respond to call outs.

They are all cops, or LEO's. They simply wear what is appropriate to the assignment.

And Moose, I don't know about where you are from, but in my department as a uniform patrol officer I handled calls ranging from the barking dog (we didn't do missing dogs) to high risk search warrants. I answered violent domestics, robberies in progress, stopped stolen cars with known armed occupants. The Bandido MC gang had a strong presence in my city, and I conducted many, many high-risk felony stops. I took down shooters, rapists and other violent offenders. We (street cops) were often out gunned, but through tactics and luck I never was shot or had to shoot anyone. 2 patrol officers were killed while I was there; both while in the midst of a high-risk operation.

More and more street cops are being assigned carbines, sub-guns and rifles because of the time it takes a specialized unit to get on scene. Remember LA?

And just because you seem to need a reminder: there are NO LOW-RISK traffic stops. There are only unknown risk stops.

Don't get hurt out there brother.