EFFINGHAM, SC (WBTW) – The Florence County Sheriff’s Office is looking to better prepare its deputies for anything and everything with more intense and specialized training for its SWAT team.
The Special Response Team (SRT) was created about six months ago. The crew is made up of 6 trained SWAT team members who specialize in responding to hostage situations, barricaded suspects, and fugitive apprehensions. They train once a week and participate in advanced, faster paced exercises that improve their physical fitness and equip them to respond to situations that require quick reaction such as vehicle tear downs, entering a barricaded building, or high risk searches.
“They’re under a new commander right now who’s really turning our SWAT team around, getting them up to some higher speed training, increasing their physical fitness,” said Captain of Special Operations Scott Brown.
Sheriff’s officials say the SRT is helpful during narcotics investigations because the small size and fast pace of the team gives DEA agents the space and time to investigate.
“Having a large group of people there like a full SWAT team like that does hinder in some of their investigations,,” Brown explained. “With the quick response from SRT, they’re able to go in, secure a house, secure the occupants of the house, get in, get out, let narcotics do their thing and we’re not causing a big presence in the neighborhood.”
Officials say the SRT is needed to adapt to modern-day realities but not necessarily because of an increase in crimes.
“I wouldn’t say there’s an uptick in crimes and investigations but now we give our investigators another tool to use,” said Brown.
The SRT will train Wednesday morning. News13 will be there covering the event.
Tune into News 13 at 6 for an inside look.