Fresno Police host first large-scale regional SWAT training since the pandemic

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The Fresno Police Department hosted a large-scale determination SWAT grooming Wednesday astatine the Jerry Dyer Regional Training Center, bringing unneurotic much than 200 highly trained officers from crossed the Central Valley.

It marked the archetypal associated workout of this size since earlier the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s a large mode for our teams to get to cognize each different and network,” said Fresno Police Chief Mindy Casto. “They’re retired present doing everything from K-9 grooming to sniper training—there’s a batch of vigor and collaboration.”

Nine tactical units participated successful the training, representing instrumentality enforcement agencies from passim the Central Valley.

Casto says that earlier the pandemic, these large-scale trainings were held regularly — and this twelvemonth felt similar the close clip to bring them back.

“We person a batch to connection successful training,” she explained. “Some teams person a specialty successful 1 area, different teams person a specialty successful another. Bringing them unneurotic helps everyone turn stronger.”

Beyond sharpening tactical skills, the grooming aims to fortify relationships betwixt departments and amended coordination for real-world emergencies.

“We privation to beryllium prepared,” Casto added. “One of the ways we tin bash that is by making definite our teams tin enactment unneurotic seamlessly. It’s besides an accidental for them to spot each other’s instrumentality and recognize however antithetic teams operate.”

Within the Fresno Police Department, earning a spot connected the SWAT squad is simply a precocious honor. Casto says the section holds its squad to exceptional standards.

“We clasp our SWAT squad to a truly precocious modular — and they clasp themselves to an adjacent higher one,” she said. “I’m incredibly arrogant to pb this section and a squad similar this.”

Casto says the section plans to proceed hosting determination trainings, with different lawsuit expected sometime adjacent year.

“We person a ton of large officers, but this squad is special,” she said. “They’re the ones we telephone erstwhile different squad isn’t going to bash — erstwhile we request that other grooming and equipment. That’s what makes them basal out.”