PHOTOS OF THE BLACK HAWK SWAT TEAM FROM THE BLACK HAWK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE WEBSITE

The hope is that we will not need them, but on the off chance that we will, we will want them handy and well trained. SWAT, the Specialized Weapons And Tactics unit, is not a unit you see in Tama County very often, but sometimes it’s warranted.

At this Monday’s Tama County Supervisors meeting, Tama Sheriff Casey Schmidt was approved to enter into a 28E agreement with the Black Hawk County SWAT Team. Schmidt talked about why he decided to have the department partner with Black Hawk SWAT.

“Really, it just makes sense for us. We don’t have the staffing to have our own SWAT team, and I don’t think it would make much sense financially for a county our size to try to build one. This gives us access to a regional team while also allowing our own people to be part of it and train with them. If we have something serious happen here, we already have that relationship in place and aren’t trying to figure it out when it’s happening,” he said.

There are certain situations where a SWAT team is just needed, as Schmidt explained.

“Things like barricaded subjects, hostage situations, high risk warrants, armed subjects, or other situations where there is a higher level of danger, and you need more than a normal patrol response. It’s definitely not something we would call out for every situation involving a gun or something like that. There has to be a reason for that level of response,” he said.

Currently, there is only one Tama County Deputy joining the SWAT team, but the Sheriff could see more Tama County officers joining in the future. The SWAT Officers are ” on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year,” according to the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Website. With that, training is imperative, and Schmidt talked about this.

“They train specifically for SWAT operations, and they train together as a team. That’s a big part of why I like this arrangement. If something bad happens here, I don’t want that to be the first time the people responding have worked together. I’d rather have our deputy training with these guys regularly and already know how the team operates,” he said. “They have the firearms, ballistic gear, communications equipment, and other specialized equipment they need depending on their role,” Schmidt stated. “Right now the firearms for our SWAT member are being provided to us at no cost. The agreement does say agencies can be responsible for some equipment for their own people, so I don’t want to say we’ll never have an equipment cost, because that’s not what the agreement says.”

This SWAT team is not made up of just one or two agencies, but of several in the area. Sheriff Schmidt listed all the agencies involved: Black Hawk County, Grundy County, Tama County, Evansdale, and La Porte City. Black Hawk County Conservation is also included through Black Hawk County.

“It’s a somewhat regional team. We aren’t just joining Black Hawk County’s SWAT team. Tama County becomes one of the agencies that make up the team,” Schmidt said.

So, why now? What did Tama County do for a SWAT team before this agreement?

“We have a good relationship with the Iowa State Patrol tactical team and have also used other regional tactical teams when we’ve needed them. There have also been situations in the past where we’ve called in our own deputies to execute warrants or handle higher risk situations that probably should have had a tactical team involved. That’s part of why this makes sense to me. Instead of always relying on another agency when something happens, this gives us the opportunity to actually be part of a regional team. Our deputy trains with them, knows how they operate, and then when we need a tactical team here, we have a team that we’re already part of and can utilize. It doesn’t change our relationship with the State Patrol or any of the other agencies we’ve worked with in the past. Those relationships are still there. This just gives us another resource and, more importantly, one that we’re actually part of,” Schmidt said.

SWAT is not something that is needed in Tama County often, but you better be safe than sorry when it comes to dangerous, high-pressure situations. Schmidt talked about this.

“We have had to use tactical teams in the past, but thankfully not very often. We just don’t have the frequency of those types of incidents that a larger agency or more populated area might have. That doesn’t mean that can’t change tomorrow. You hope you never need a tactical team, but when you do, you want that capability already in place. Usually by the time you’re considering a tactical team, you’re already dealing with a pretty serious situation. The goal at that point is to keep it from getting worse and get everybody through it safely. I think there is also a misconception about what a tactical team is there to do. They look intimidating, and they’re obviously trained and equipped to handle some very dangerous situations, but the goal isn’t to go in and use all of those tools and tactics. It’s actually the opposite,” he said. “They have a process. They slow things down when they can, use negotiators, gather information, give people time, and try to resolve the situation peacefully. The goal is to use the least amount of force necessary and hopefully not have to use force at all. Looking at the options available to us, this team made the most sense operationally. They need members, we need access to a tactical team, and our deputy gets to regularly train with the same people who could be responding here. There’s value in that training for the rest of our office too. Even if we only have one deputy on the team, he’s bringing that training and experience back with him. Not everything he learns is SWAT specific. There are things that can be passed along to our other deputies and make all of us better and safer.”

So, this is a move of prevention and precaution. The Sheriff is making a move on the board that should help down the line. Or as he put it, “Ultimately, you hope we never have to call them. But I would much rather have the team, the training, and the relationships in place and never need them than need them once and not have them.”

PHOTOS OF THE BLACK HAWK SWAT TEAM FROM THE BLACK HAWK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE WEBSITE