Now the guys on the photo look like your "off the shelf" cops that couldn't sprint 100 meters without coughing heavily.
Is this a consequence of every small town police now having a SWAT team? Or were SWAT teams always composed of "average joes" and the highly trained special forces just a product of Hollywood?
Genuinely curious.
"No one runs faster than Mr Heckler and Koch."
(Heckler and Koch are a German gun manufacturer. If you are heavily armed and armoured, you don't really need to run after or away from your enemies.)
And, since the US Defense Department can donate excess hardware to police forces, most of the gear comes at a very heavy discount (because it's already been paid for by tax dollars). http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/07/militar...
As a result, it's not at all uncommon to send a team of local policemen in assault gear to arrest a drug dealer or other minor criminal, or anyone accused anonymously of something horrid -- that's the basis of swatting. Hopefully they get the right house, and don't shoot anyone else or their pets, but it typically isn't a big deal even when the cops screw up.
1) All Swat teams look like that, Hollywood lied to us
2) This is a bomb defusal unit, they don't need to move fast
3) It's a small town police unit
Unless bomb operates on Holywoodium, they can't outrun the explosion or use it to propel themselves.
Most US police forces lack the discipline and capability to field a Special Weapons And Tactics team. Instead, they have Volunteers. These are regular beat cops who sat through a few training courses and maybe ran a few smash and grab walk troughs at some point. They keep a flack vest, helmet and carbine AR in their trunk. Most SWAT calls are just beat pigs dealing with something over there head, which can be anything from a person who knows their rights to an actuall increased threat scenario. Real SWAT teams are the picture of tactical efficiency and reserve. Most footage [i completely discount all cinematic SWAT silliness] you will see has yelling and gun pointing and one cute video of a fat, crazy drunk getting zipped up by a SWAT bro with an MP5 [never take a breech loader to an automatic fight]. This discounts all of the rigorous training, both physical and mental, that these operators go through in the short window they are allowed to be in an actual SWAT team. I cannot vouchsafe the conduct of all SWAT, but my anecdotal experience was awesome.
I will leave off most the detail, but here is my short story. This was the first time I interacted with SWAT. It will not be the last, I fear. I was in a place I probably should have avoided, when I decided to step out for a jack. I was laughing at a lame joke my friends girlfriend had made [i was/am that guy] as I opened the front door. When I swung my head forward, I was greeted by 6 or 7 homeboys in black tac gear. They were setting to take the door. The point man [guy in front] leveled his hellasweet HK USP .45 at my face and politely asked me to, "please hold the door". I remember being able to see down the barrel of his shooter. He had one in the chamber. I graciously swung the door wide and bowed fairly low, like some drug addled varlet. Point guys swept by as number 2 gently spun me and zip tied my wrists. He kind of whispered "don't be stupid". I do not know what he meant, but I had been a military sycophant for a long time so I knew the drill and sank to my knees. They were done in seconds. 2 of them helped me up gently and ushered me to the couch. They left quietly and broke nothing. I cannot say the same for the overweight, callous detectives that spent 4+ hours figuring out that they had taken a house with no evidence and only one of their targeted suspects [he was released because he had no ID on him]?
I have had many experiences with many levels of LEO and none has ever instilled the respect and admiration I have for a true SWAT team.
No constables. No kings. Self police is self rule.
And yet it's so subtle, I wouldn't have noticed had you not pointed it out.