Expert: Jack Toomey - 10/30/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hello I'm currently in High School and I love helping people and also love the law and I'm interested in being a SWAT team member. I'm currently in Miami FL, and I wanted to know after I graduate what are the requirements I need to do to become a SWAT team member? Thank You

*Also this is my senior year in High School*

ANSWER: You should be thinking about your college choices right now.  If you are a senior you should have your schools narrowed down and getting ready to send out your applications.  Get your degree (doesn't matter what its in) and when you are 21 you will be in a much better position to make a career choice.

I am guessing that you are basing your career goal now on what you see on television or in the movies.  Trust me that SWAT is NOTHING like you see on television.  On most departments SWAT officers are patrol officers who respond to SWAT call-outs and magically become SWAT officers.  On big-city or big county departments SWAT is a full time affair.

You may not be aware of this but no one goes straight into SWAT.  If you are hired by a police department (about a 1 in 100 chance based on national averages) you would go to their academy and then upon graduation you would report to a district station.  Then you would spend a considerable amount of time as a uniformed patrol officer.  When you have enough experience and if you have a good record in patrol then you may have the chance to apply for an open position in SWAT.


Again....if you are basing your question on what you see on television you are going to be disappointed.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Its not based on the TV shows that I have seen most of my family members are involved in it and I want to be part of it too, but also you said its full time. Did you mean that I would have no brakes at all, I would be around the clock?

Answer
What I meant is that on many departments it is not a full time job.  When officers are not doing SWAT related duties they perform normal patrol duty.  On the bigger departments its a full time position.  No officer works 24 hours a day.  It would be eight hours or ten hours depending on the department.

But since most of your family are SWAT members then wouldn't they be the best to give you advice for departments in your part of the country?