LTC 260-2002
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CITY OF MIAMI BEACH """"
Office of the City Ma~ger ~
Letter to Commission No. 0020:?Z
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To:
From:
Mayor David Dermer and Date: November 5, 2002
Members of the City Commission
Jorge M. Gonzalez ~~---
City Manager . U
POLICE DEPAR TENT'S SPECIAL WEAPONS AND TACTICS SCHOOL
Subject:
The purpose ofthis Letter to the Commission is to provide the Mayor and the Commission
with a report of the Police Department's recently completed Special Weapons and Tactics
School (SWAT).
I n light of promotions, change of assignments, and veteran officers retiring from the SWAT
team, a training need emerged in order to bring the team up to an adequate staffing level.
To address this need, the Police Department hosted a three-week SWAT school from
October 7-25,2002. The training was made available to other police agencies as well.
Hosting a SWAT School requires a tremendous commitment oftime, effort, and resources.
Planning for the school involved the cooperation of almost every unit within the Police
Department in order to facilitate the training.
Current SWAT members were chosen to teach specific subjects and were required to
prepare detailed lesson plans. The curriculum included firearms training, forcible entry,
search patterns and techniques, mobile vehicle takedowns, mobile hostage rescue, less
than lethal force, chemical agents, warrant service, active gunmen, and officer survival.
Officers were also subjected to intense physical conditioning and training each day.
The class started with sixteen participants, including three Miami Beach Paramedics who
were competing to be SW AT Medics. Of the sixteen students ten were Miami Beach Police
Officers.
During the course of the three-week school several students were dismissed for a variety
of reasons including injury, failure to qualify at the firearms range, or not meeting
standards. Eleven students graduated from the school, including five Miami Beach Police
Officers and three Medics.
Please join me in congratulating the Miami Beach Police Officers and Paramedics who
successfully completed this rigorous training. Their dedication to duty is exemplary and
commendable.
Letter to the Commission
Page 2
November 5, 2002
Miami Beach
Special Weapons and Tactical School (SWAT) Graduates
October 2002
Police Paramedics
Sgt. Eugene Rodriguez Charles Albury
Ofc. Jon Brudzinski Zvi Hirsch
Ofc. Jimmy Gotsis Daniel Kokaram
Ofc. Timothy Houser
Ofc. Eddie Perez
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F:IPOLlITE HSERVlPOLlCIESICOM_MEMOISWAT Training Nov 2002 L TC.doc