As San Benito County grows in population, and a corresponding increase in violent crime, the sheriff has his sites set on implementing a full-fledged Special Weapons and Tactics unit in the future – something he said would ensure the safety of both police and residents.
As a stepping stone toward creating a SWAT team, a special High Risk Team, comprised of nine deputies, has been in place for the past 18 months. HRT deputies have been used in almost 40 precarious situations to make safer and more secure arrests, said Sheriff Curtis Hill.
Although the possibility of transforming the high risk deputies into SWAT team members sometime this fiscal year is out of the question because of budget restraints, Hill hopes to make it a reality sometime soon after that, he said.
“There are situations where you’ve gotta have a good tactical approach to some things that we get involved in, or the propensity for deputies, residents or witnesses to get hurt is greater,” Hill said. “We’re taking small steps – we were able to put together a good group of deputies and were given the right equipment.”
Hill recently received $16,000 in donations from private citizens who asked if they could help propagate the team’s training and advancement, he said. That money will help pay for additional equipment such as top-of-the-line bullet-proof vests, Hill said.
“Right now the guys are going out with the normal body armor they wear on patrol,” he said. “These vests are designed for a SWAT unit.”
Whether the HRT unit could be upgraded to a SWAT team in the future largely will depend on what happens with the state’s budget and how the county navigates its own budget issues, he said. Hill doesn’t know how much more money he needs for a SWAT team.
“When we go to the next level it would require additional funds – money I don’t have right now,” he said. “We’re not doing it now because we don’t have the financial resources to have a team that meets the full guidelines. I want it 100 percent, top-drawer, or it’s not happening.”
Upgrading from the HRT unit to a SWAT team would mean the team would have total coordination with surrounding SWAT teams and additional hostage negotiators and training, Hill said.
Members would also have a host of additional equipment including advanced weapons and personal protection, such as the vests Hill will be purchasing, he said.County Supervisor Ruth Kesler is in favor of a SWAT unit, as long as it doesn’t require the county to shell out a considerable amount of money.
“This county is growing by leaps and bounds and we have to do something,” Kesler said. “Maybe it isn’t time yet, but our sheriff should know when we’re ready for it… if it doesn’t cost too much.”
HRT deputies have responded to between 30 to 40 incidents since the team was formed, and while the team doesn’t necessarily make more arrests, the more dangerous arrests are being executed in a safer fashion, Hill said.
The team is deployed to any situation where there is a high possibility that violence could break out – such as if a person deputies are attempting to apprehend is known to have prior weapons charges or if someone is barricaded in their home under dangerous circumstances, Hill said.
A SWAT unit would respond to similar calls, but the difference would be in deputies’ preparedness and abilities. They would have advanced and on-going training designed for SWAT team members, he said.
The key reason a SWAT team is warranted is due to a growing population and increasing crime, Hill said. A SWAT team would better ensure the safety of police, community members and even criminals during a perilous situation, he said.
“We’re like every other community in the nation. Unfortunately we have people… that are committing crimes of violence,” Hill said. “Police officers get killed every year in these types of violent situations, and we need people that are tactically trained in order to take on these situations.”
Because the proposal of a SWAT team hasn’t been brought before the Board of Supervisors, Supervisor Reb Monaco said he would need to listen to Hill’s justification of a team before making a decision.
“I just don’t know right now… but I commend him for looking forward to the future,” Monaco said. “None of us has a crystal ball, but we need to plan ahead, so I commend him for having that foresight and at least exploring these ideas.”
Because of the county’s budget restraints, Hill has tried to keep down the price of the HRT unit. The only additional cost to the department is paying eight hours of overtime to three or four people each month, he said.
“Any time I can wake up knowing all my deputies can go home at night to their families, that’s worth the price of the team right there,” Hill said. “My nightmare is doing a eulogy for one of my deputies who was killed because they did not have the appropriate training for them to do their job.”
Erin Musgrave can be reached at 637-5566, ext. 336 or at
em*******@fr***********.com
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