Sheriff's Dept. SWAT Team

What do we know about the SWAT team at the McHenry County Sheriff's Department?

I haven't called over for information yet, but I do wonder if I'll get the same response as I did when I tried to get information about the ICE program. That response is an easy one to write about in one word. Nothing. Or with two words: No response. Or three words: Calls not returned. (That's calls, not call.)

So, about SWAT. There is considerable general information available on the web about SWAT teams. When you read it, you learn that SWAT teams are special operations. Now, not "black operations" but, instead, carefully selected, psychologically qualified, highly trained, problem free law enforcement officers. Officers "with a clean noses"; i.e., no history of problems and no problems with unauthorized or improper use of force. There should be no room on a SWAT team for a bully.

These team members have to be cool and maintain cool in very delicate, often dangerous circumstances. Therefore, we can expect that they will be carefully screened, thoroughly "vetted" (the popular buzz word of the decade), properly and completely trained, certified by any State-level professional law enforcement agencies that certifies SWAT team members, such as the Illinois State Police, (if there is such State certified (and, if there isn't, there should be))and properly authorized and designated by their own agency.

Those agencies don't need braggadocios out on the street, flexing their muscles, wearing their tight black t-shirts, running around with shaved heads with an "I Dare You" attitude.

They should be the coolest of the cool, and I don't mean "cool". For one reason they have awesome weapons that are not available to the "routine" officer, deputy or trooper.

They must be keenly aware of the Constitutional rights of citizens and operate strictly within the law. In other words, if they have the correct legal authority to enter private property, they have that authority (warrant) BEFORE they enter the property. No one calls the judge for a warrant while the SWAT team is standing in the living room with guns drawn.

The team must respect one another, including all the commanders. They must operate as a "team". There is no room for a hot head, a loose cannon, a solo operator; those guys endanger themselves, and they endanger the team.

So, what do we have in McHenry County?

Members of the County SWAT team and of local law enforcement agencies are invited to post your comments, information, advice right here. Pick a screen name that completely hides your identity and agency, and tell us, the public, what we need to know.

Or you can email it to me for careful editing (not of content, but to further preserve your identity) and publication.