Swat Teams (Hardcover)

by Robert L. Snow (Author) "It took less than ninety minutes to change America forever..." (more)
Key Phrases: good hostage negotiator, flashbang devices, command post personnel, Mount Carmel, Indianapolis Police Department, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Special Weapons and Tactics teams were created in response to the Texas Tower massacre in 1966, when a rifleman in Austin shot 46 people, 15 fatally. They are now a feature of almost every big-city police force, made up of snipers, hostage negotiators and reconnaissance scouts. Indianapolis police officer Snow (Protecting Your Life, Home and Property) here covers aspects of SWAT work, discussing problems like coordinating intelligence in a command post, using psychologists in special cases and negotiating with hostage-takers. He lists the attributes of a good SWAT officer: he or she is a team player, emotionally stable, highly intelligent, physically strong and a crack shot. Snow stresses that a SWAT assault must have the elements of surprise, shock and violence and can be regarded a success if nobody is killed. In his informative volume, Snow presents dozens of instances from across the nation of triumphs and failures. Photos.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

When Charles Whitman sprayed bullets in a brutal killing spree from the heights of the University of Texas clock tower in 1966, he single-handedly made history by dashing the security of millions and changing law enforcement forever. In the wake of this horrifying event, SWAT - Special Weapons and Tactics - teams were born. Since that time, such desperate, bloody face-offs with police have steadily increased, making SWAT an invaluable and necessary part of law enforcement. Captain Snow, author of the acclaimed Protecting Your Life, Home, and Property, and a police officer with over 25 years experience, delivers to the reader the immediacy of actual SWAT events - including both the notorious and the bizarre. We get a chilling glimpse into the desperate, twisted mind of the hostage taker - often hovering precariously between violence and suicide - and witness the brilliant, life-saving strategies SWAT commanders put into action to stop them. As Captain Snow demonstrates, whether intervening during a tension-filled hostage showdown or serving an arrest warrant to a heavily armed drug lord, SWAT teams are, in general, uniquely prepared to handle the most volatile and life-threatening police situations with poise, speed, and - when necessary - deadly force. From the unnerving events in Waco to the thousands of successes every year, Snow analyzes what works and doesn't work in a SWAT team. When the smoke clears, we find at the heart of this book the inspiring story of professionals who have dedicated their lives to saving others. Captain Snow gives us the real story behind the Hollywood image - at once exciting and sobering - of this relatively new and increasingly vital branch of law enforcement.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 307 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; 1 edition (March 21, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306452669
• ISBN-13: 978-0306452666
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,911,324 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Case Studies of Swat encounters good reading, April 25, 1999

By A Customer

While it discusses tactics overall the emphasis of this book is the study of actual encounters of SWAT teams throughout the country. Its a very readable book and at points chilling. A Police officers job is never easy and this book makes that point very clear. What was a little disappointing though was the author's presentation of the Branch Davidian Case. However the rest of the book is very good.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written & Informative, March 11, 2002

By	Rex Marksmanson "HEYO!" (Long Island, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Swat Teams: Explosive Face-offs With America's Deadliest Criminals (Paperback)

Since I was younger I've had an interest in special forces units, especially in S.W.A.T. teams. And though my knowledge on them was more than basic, I've always felt the need to know more. "Swat Teams..." was the perfect book, not only was it informative, but a great read that I had a hard time putting down. Snow, who is a Homicide Detective in the Indianapolis Police Department, breaks down S.W.A.T. in a chapter by chapter review. Some of the topics covered are the need for S.W.A.T. Team, Snipers, Intelligence & Training, and even the ocassional failures of S.W.A.T. A great read for anyone interested in the topic, or any reader in general.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good as Introduction to SWAT, August 13, 2003

By	"slim007" (DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Swat Teams: Explosive Face-offs With America's Deadliest Criminals (Paperback)

This is a good introductory book for a person interested in finding out more about SWAT. However, it's little more than review for any law enforcement officer familiar with the basic SOP's and structure of their department's team. It is mostly anecdotal evidence and uses the same "suspect takes hostage, SWAT kills suspect or suspect surrenders" storyline to illustrate why those SOP's and structure exists.