Wikipedia defines SWAT or special weapons and tactics team as "an elite paramilitary tactical unit in American law enforcement departments." SWAT team members are considered experts in high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers owing to their special training and expertise. Since they underwent rigorous training and special military exercises, their duties include performing hostage rescues and counter-terrorism operations, serving high risk arrest and search warrants, subduing barricaded suspects, and engaging heavily-armed criminals. To perform their job well, SWAT team members are equipped with specialized firearms including submachine guns, assault rifles, breaching shotguns, riot control agents, stun grenades and sniper rifles. They also carry specialized equipment including heavy body armor, ballistic shields, entry tools, armored vehicles, advanced night vision optics, and motion detectors for covertly determining the positions of hostages or hostage takers inside of an enclosed structure. However, this is not what the world saw during the August 23 hostage crisis at the Rizal Park. A dismissed police officer named Rolando Mendoza exposed the incompetence, amateurishness and lack of preparedness and equipment of the country's SWAT team. Because of this, the acronym SWAT has gotten a new meaning: Sorry We Aren't Trained! My sincere condolences to the victims' families. SOURCE: http://fvdb.wordpress.com/2010/08/24/swats-new-meaning-sorry-we-arent-trained/ THE VINCENTON POST http://fvdb.wordpress.com/

• published: 24 Aug 2010
• views: 9466