NCJ Number
183856
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 48 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2000 Pages: 92-96
Editor(s)
Bruce Cameron
Date Published
May 2000
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Members of special weapons and tactical (SWAT) units in the Tampa Bay, Florida, area participated in a 5-day training program taught by Israelis to learn how to counter terrorism aimed at civilians using mass transportation.
Abstract
Using a real school bus, training participants practiced response, entry, safety sweeps, searches for weapons and booby traps, protection of children and adults, and escorting civilians to safety. The training program covered operations such as mob control, hand-to-hand fighting, firearms and knives, behavior under stress, live fire drills and escalation, stealth fighting, live road block drills, terrorist booby traps, officer kidnapping situations, movement through crowds, car hijacking, and negotiations. The final focus of the training program was on bus intervention, including snipers, security, and penetration. Specific objectives of the training program were to teach techniques for approaching the bus, entry strikes, securing the bus perimeter, securing movement inside the bus, an individual's role in a team, and familiarization with breaking in gear and booby traps. In one exercise, the complete response time from actual strike commencement to securing the terrorists and hostages was reduced to 7.50 minutes. Details of specific procedures followed during the training program are provided. 2 photographs