Special Operations
 Deputy Chief Terry Fritz |
The Special Operations Division contains a number of different functions to address community needs and to support other divisions within the police department.
Special operations is under the command of a captain and two lieutenants and is responsible for the following units: Accident Investigations, Gangs, K9, Motors and S.W.A.T.
Accident Investigations:
The Accident Investigation/Hit & Run Unit is comprised of 10 Accident Investigators and three Hit & Run Detectives. The officers assigned to this unit undergo hundreds of hours of extensive training for accident investigation and accident reconstruction.
The unit has the primary role of traffic accident investigation and enforcement in Salt Lake City. Enforcement of traffic laws leads to a reduction in the substantial number of yearly accidents, as well as safer roads for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.
They also assist with traffic control during events such as the Days of '47 Parade, the Gay Pride Parade and many other functions, including LDS General Conference, dignitary escorts, and protests and mass gatherings.
Gangs:
Gang detectives provide gang suppression on the street and work hand in hand with the gang investigators to prevent drive by shootings and other gang related violence.
The mission is street level interdiction of gang related crime and investigations, as well as assisting investigators with follow-up regarding gang cases. They are often called upon for high hazard arrest warrants and provide six days-a-week coverage during the peak hours of gang crime.
K9:
The Salt Lake City Police Department K9 Squad was developed and started in 1958 under Chief W. Cleon Skousen. For the next twenty years the K9 Squad functioned very successfully not only out on patrol but as a public relations tool for the Department.
K9 teams were used by the SLCPD for 20 years until a combination of financial and training issues ended the program in 1978. By 1989 those issues no longer stood in the way of the formation of a K9 squad and four new teams were brought into service. From that time, the K9 Squad has proven to be one of the police department's best, adding in recent years a Bloodhound, a Labrador and a Beagle to its teams of German Shepherd Dogs.
The Salt Lake City Police Department currently has seven K9 teams and looks forward to continued success from this squad.
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Motors:
The police motorcycle is universally recognized as an extremely effective law enforcement tool because of maneuverability and the enforcement image it presents, along with its capability for use in special functions.
The squad utilizes Harley-Davidson and BMW Motorcycles, which enable them to move freely through congested traffic and more effectively accomplish their mission. The officers are highly trained in all aspects of motorcycle safety and traffic enforcement. Each year they complete between 120 hours and 260 hours of in-service training.
S.W.A.T.:
SWAT is an acronym for Special Weapons and Tactics. The SLCPD has gathered a group of sworn personnel referred to as the SWAT Team, trained in the use of tactics and weapons for deployment in high hazard situations. The primary mission of the SWAT Team is to provide officers, trained as a team, to respond to potentially hazardous situations and save lives. This includes lives of law enforcement personnel who become faced with unusually hazardous situations, parties involved in the incident and members of the community whose security level is severely threatened by these situations.
Deployment Situations include but are not limited to:
- High hazard Search and Arrest Warrants
- Barricaded Suspects
- Hostage Takings
- Dignitary Protection
- Any mission requiring a tactical team effort. (Search and rescue, manhunts, etc)
