Oakland County Sheriff’s Lt. Larry Perry recently participated in a competition similar to the Olympic decathlon ? the only difference being he was wearing full body armor and shooting live ammunition.
They didn’t take home the gold, but the Oakland County Sheriff’s Special Response Team (SRT) learned plenty and made some new friends while competing in the U.S. National SWAT Championships May 19-23 at the Highlands Ranch Law Enforcement Training Center in Littleton, Colorado.
‘It was a privilege to be a part of something like this,? said Perry, commander of the Oxford Twp. substation and a member of the elite SRT for almost 10 years.
The SRT is a highly skilled, highly trained group of officers selected from personnel throughout the sheriff’s department.
Using sophisticated equipment, including an armored personnel carrier, the team responds to critical situations involving barricaded gunmen, high risk warrant arrests, drug raids and civil disturbances.
This was the second time the SRT has ventured out to Colorado for this competition, which uses live SWAT scenarios and relays to test individual and team skills such as marksmanship.
Perry noted the entire trip was paid for using drug forfeiture funds. No tax dollars were spent.
Each competitive event was designed to allow SWAT squads to demonstrate team organization, weapons skills and physical fitness while negotiating courses of fire in a safe manner. Events included:
n Bus Assault ? Competitors pick off targets in a school bus and rescue dummies inside.
n Glock Pistol Relay ? Participants run carrying 110-pound weights, then shoot targets.
n Carbine Crunch ? Competitors run through an obstacle course, then shoot their rifles around and over an 8-foot barricade.
n Shield Assault ? Participants crouch behind portable metal shields while shooting at targets.
n Countersniper Challenge ? Competitiors run up and down a course, then hit targets more than 100 yards away.
‘It opens your eyes as far as what different teams are doing to train their officers to increase their skills,? Perry said. ‘You’re learning what different training techniques teams are using, what different equipment teams are using and how you can implement these things in your team.?
This year the 10-man county SRT team finished 25th out of 30 squads from around the nation plus three from Canada, Portugal and the Czech Republic.
‘I think the guys did a really good job,? Perry said.
Unlike the county’s SRT, many of these teams function on a full-time basis, meaning they can train all day, everyday, according to Perry.
When they’re not called into action or training, the 28 members of the SRT are busy with their regular assigned duties as sheriff’s personnel.
‘Typically, we (SRT) usually have 20 to 25 deployments a year,? Perry said. ‘It’s kind of hit or miss. We might not have anything for three months and then have four or five call-outs.?
Although the elite teams are competing against each other, the event offers professional people with ‘common interests, common goals? the opportunity to network, share information and ‘pick each others? brains,? according to Perry.
‘It’s very beneficial for us,? he said.
Oakland’s SRT developed a close relationship with the competition’s first place team, Bruce Power, whose members guard a nuclear power plant in Ontario, Canada.
‘They kind of buddied up with us,? Perry said. ‘Some of their guys come down from Canada to go to concerts at Pine Knob.?
Perry had nothing but praise for the Canadian team.
‘They’re right at the top of the game,? he said. ‘Not only were they great competitors, but they showed great sportsmanship.?
The Bruce Power team invited the SRT to visit Canada sometime and train with them.
Overall, Perry was pleased with the experience and looks forward to hopefully competing again next year.
‘It was just a great opportunity,? he said. ‘It was really neat to watch everybody compete.?