Bowtie22
Contributor
I thought that I would ask around here to see if anyone had any ideas on how to persuade a police agency to start up a dive team. We have our SWAT team as the "Dive Team"; however there are only about 3 divers on SWAT that have any real experience in the water. Our SWAT team is trying to be more of a Navy SEAL team than anything (we do have a need for these SEAL type operations since we are near Wash DC with the responsibility of a Nuke plant, LNG gas plant and a large bridge).
The problem is that most of the SWAT divers have only open water Certs with very limited diving experience. As far as any SAR goes we have a 100% volunteer dive rescue team. Again these guys are needed but the response time to an incident that they may be needed can be hours. Not to mention but since we are surrounded by water...we have crimes that are committed and evidence that is thrown off of bridges and shores. Hey..... guess who attempts to recover these items........the volunteer divers with absolutely no law enforcement background. That is where I start to get very frustrated!
We have had a need for a Police agency dive team that is capable of evidence collection, and Search and Rescue. With patrol officers on the street already the response time to any incident would be minutes not hours. Not to mention but if we are searching for evidence we won't have to wait 2 weeks to attempt to recover evidence that is in the water
Here is what usually happens after we get information that there is important evidence in the water at a particular site..... first we sit on our thumbs trying to figure out who can search and potentially recover the evidence off of the bottom and out of the silt and sand, next we ask SWAT SEAL team they say they are not able to perform this type of function, then we contact the volunteer dive squad.... and since no ones life in jeopardy we will wait for a week or 2 so they can get all the logistics worked out, then...............BAM!!! We can't find anything because the currents, tides and fisherman may have swept it off or it is too silted in the bottom from sitting too long.)
So.... that leads me to this....my shift alone has 4 well experienced divers on it that all feel the same way about this issue and are more than willing to take on the task of organizing such a team. The problem is...we a Sheriffs Dept and we have to get the political approval first, the rest should be all down hill.
What the agency is saying.... the funding isn't there, the need, the usefulness, the equipment prices, liabilities, risks, and dangers....on and on!!!!
Does anyone have any ideas on how to prove these points to the agency? Has anyone else struggled with the same problems trying to push for a dive team? Any useful information or web links would be greatly appreciated!!!
The problem is that most of the SWAT divers have only open water Certs with very limited diving experience. As far as any SAR goes we have a 100% volunteer dive rescue team. Again these guys are needed but the response time to an incident that they may be needed can be hours. Not to mention but since we are surrounded by water...we have crimes that are committed and evidence that is thrown off of bridges and shores. Hey..... guess who attempts to recover these items........the volunteer divers with absolutely no law enforcement background. That is where I start to get very frustrated!
We have had a need for a Police agency dive team that is capable of evidence collection, and Search and Rescue. With patrol officers on the street already the response time to any incident would be minutes not hours. Not to mention but if we are searching for evidence we won't have to wait 2 weeks to attempt to recover evidence that is in the water
Here is what usually happens after we get information that there is important evidence in the water at a particular site..... first we sit on our thumbs trying to figure out who can search and potentially recover the evidence off of the bottom and out of the silt and sand, next we ask SWAT SEAL team they say they are not able to perform this type of function, then we contact the volunteer dive squad.... and since no ones life in jeopardy we will wait for a week or 2 so they can get all the logistics worked out, then...............BAM!!! We can't find anything because the currents, tides and fisherman may have swept it off or it is too silted in the bottom from sitting too long.)
So.... that leads me to this....my shift alone has 4 well experienced divers on it that all feel the same way about this issue and are more than willing to take on the task of organizing such a team. The problem is...we a Sheriffs Dept and we have to get the political approval first, the rest should be all down hill.
What the agency is saying.... the funding isn't there, the need, the usefulness, the equipment prices, liabilities, risks, and dangers....on and on!!!!
Does anyone have any ideas on how to prove these points to the agency? Has anyone else struggled with the same problems trying to push for a dive team? Any useful information or web links would be greatly appreciated!!!