The Special Assignment Unit (S.A.U.) exists to support the patrol and criminal investigations divisions in resolving high-risk incidents while minimizing the potential for injury or death to all parties involved. This is accomplished with specially trained officers and numerous specialized weapons, vehicles and other tools. Some examples of situations that would require the deployment of the S.A.U. team include:

• Barricaded, armed suspect(s) holding hostages
• Sniper attacks
• Protection of police and fire units involved in mob actions, arsonists, and insurgents
• Deployment of special and/or chemical weapons
• High risk search warrant service

The tactical situation philosophy is that every decision is based on the premise that the preservation of human life constitutes the first priority in devising any strategy. The S.A.U. team is comprised of three components, each trained and equipped for specific duties. The S.A.U. team is commanded by a division commander (usually a Commander) and is broken down as follows:

Tactical Team - Consisting of a Tactical commander and a component of sergeants and officers that have specific duties and specializations. These duties include operators, sniper/observer teams, less-lethal, K-9 and breachers.

Negotiations - Consisting of a Negotiations commander, one sergeant, and six to eight officers. This team is responsible for conducting all communication with barricaded persons and is vital to gathering information about these situations.

Support - Consisting of a Support commander; a support team: one sergeant, two robot technicians, six F.D. paramedics, one civilian volunteer physician and two civilian members of the department.

If you have any questions regarding the S.A.U. team, contact Sgt. Doug Scholz at 782-4218.