The Shasta County Sheriff's Office Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT), has been in existence since 1983. The team originally started with twelve members. Today's team has thirteen team members to include a tactical medical doctor who provides tactical emergency medical support not just to team members but to the public and suspects when needed. The SWAT team is a designated unit of law enforcement officers that is specifically trained and equipped to work as a coordinated team to respond to critical acts and other high risk incidents. As a matter of agency policy, the unit may be used to serve high risk warrants, both search and arrest, where public and officer safety issues compel the use of such a unit.
The SWAT team's mission capabilities may include, but are not limited to:
- Barricaded suspect searches
- Warrant service
- Hostage rescue operations
- Mobile operations
- Protective operations (VIP/Witness/Other)
- Evacuation/rescue of individuals from high risk areas
- Surrender call-out and arrest procedures
- Chemical agent deployment
- Kidnapping victim exchange/payoff
- Extortion payoffs
- Inner perimeter containment
- Anti-sniper operations
- Undercover officer back-up in high risk situations
- Participate in Search and Rescue missions
