Training SWAT teams - Implications for improving tactical units

As terrorism and other forms of violence continue to increase in American s ociety, there is a growing need for law enforcement agencies to utilize Spe cial Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) or Tactical Teams. There is, however, very little research available on SWAT units, and even less information on the t raining needs of these specialized divisions. This article describes the re sults of an exploratory study conducted to consider the training needs of S WAT units in North Carolina. A survey was administered to sixty-five law en forcement organizations. Results and implications are discussed. (C) 2000 E lsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.