The Amador County Sheriff’s Office Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team is a collateral duty assignment for select members of the Amador County Sheriff’s Office. The SWAT Team is responsible for all high risk search warrant and arrest warrant services, barricaded subjects, hostage situations, securing marijuana cultivation sites linked to large scale drug organizations, high risk parole and probation searches, dignitary protection and other details as assigned which require the specialized training, tactics and equipment employed by the SWAT Team.

The SWAT team includes one team leader, two assistant team leaders and eight operators, two of which are cross-trained as law enforcement snipers. The team typically trains twice monthly. The training includes, but is not limited to, building clearing tactics, open field movement and contact, arrest procedures, less lethal options, chemical agents, combative counter-measure, canine operations, airborne operations, firearms training, vehicle and linear take downs, rural navigation and down citizen/officer recovery.

Individual team members are selected by the Sheriff after a review of the eligible candidates past work performance, a physical/operational evaluation, and an intensive oral interview. All team members must successfully complete the POST approved FBI Basic SWAT Course and internal weapons and tactics training before becoming operational. Most members attend additional specialized training related to warrant services, hostage rescue, less lethal options, chemical agents, emergency medical training and specialized weapon skills. All team members are also required to pass an annual fitness/operational standards test. The SWAT Team is comprised of members from various bureaus within the organization including Administration, Patrol and Investigations.

The Amador County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team works in support of all divisions and special teams within the Sheriff’s Office, as well as our local law enforcement partners and regional agencies.