Editing Fragile:SWAT (section)

=Origins=


The concept of special police squads has been around for a long time, but the first real SWAT unit was derived from D-Platoon of the Los Angeles Police Department. It was a reaction to the turbulence of the 60's, particularly the infamous Texas Tower Sniper of 1966. Initially only a counter-sniper unit, it branched out into responding to other high risk call-outs. Its first operation (1969) targeted two Black Panthers after they made a public threat to kill a police officer. After an hours-long gun battle and siege, the suspects surrendered and SWAT had its first victory.


In the modern age, the concept if not the name has proliferated globally, with most major cities having specially trained tactical-response police teams. There are thousands of teams, ranging from small town units to groups attached to federal agencies. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) follows the American model, which can be traced back to D-Platoon.