Page 30 - TPA Journal January - February 2019

the use and mission of a modern SWAT team; i.e. dangerous, critical and fast-moving incidents
to provide the overall organization with the means without depleting the organization’s ability to
of dealing with an immediate and critical situation respond to burglaries, traffic accidents, bank
while allowing the remainder of the organization robberies, domestic disputes, and other situations
to perform the routine but important tasks that may happen every day but are no less
associated with its long-term mission. Incidents important to the victims.
such as the Watts Riot in 1965 and the Texas
Tower in 1966 showed how an organized and Although it is not specifically stated in any
practiced police unit could have been more religious scripture, Gideon must have possessed
efficient and effective than the traditional method outstanding traits of leadership. While volumes
of simply adding more personnel in the response have already been written about the topic of
to the critical incident. In these and other organizational leadership during periods of crisis,
situations, the addition of further forces resulted we will simply define it as the ability to motivate
in the depletion of resources needed to respond to others to do what they would routinely not do
routine but important calls for service throughout because they are unwilling, unable, or unaware of
other parts of the city. In many too instances, the what needs to be done. Within the police tactical
lack of training as a group and the indecisiveness context there is usually not an issue of
by police leadership resulted in many officers willingness. Inability is normally the result of a
simply standing around idly at a rally point lack of training or needed equipment. Lack of
waiting to be given a specific task while the awareness implies a delay, failure or insufficiency
command staff attempted to determine the in the intelligence briefing process.
requirements of the mission at hand. If previous The soundness of leadership is a function of
supervised training is of the proper quality and adhering to the standards of the profession over
frequency, responses to critical incidents become political worries and potential media criticism. To
automatic. be knowledgeable about the standards of a
modern profession requires continuous education
In 1971, the Nashville to Jacksonville and training at all levels of an organization. It also
Skyjacking resulted in several preventable deaths requires attendance in the conferences and
that could have been avoided with proper specialized sessions of the relevant associations of
personnel selection, training and resolute practitioners. Admittedly, Gideon enjoyed a
leadership. The incident was effectively decided advantage in this regard because God
summarized by the court in Downs v. United provided the standards to follow, but the principle
States (1975): “Special circumstances require remains true today. A leader is most effective and
special circumstances.” In short, the traditional is without reproach when acting ethically and
ad hoc approach to problem resolution was within the standards of the profession instead of
removed from the tactical tool box. Over the under the demands of politics, public opinion, or
years this concept has been construed as specially the press.
selected, trained and equipped personnel who,
under sound leadership, can respond to extremely

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