Chapter 08. Special Tactical Response

“Activate” means to put police officers who are members of a special tactical response team or who are participating in a no-knock warrant service operation on notice of potential deployment for an unusually dangerous or potentially violent situation.

“After-action report” means a document to be completed following activation and deployment of a special tactical response team or a no-knock warrant service operation that includes, at minimum, the type of deployment, persons deployed, the location deployed to, information about suspects, witnesses, victims, or others, a synopsis of the event, and a conclusion.

Commission.

“Competencies” means the capabilities of the team members to conduct special tactical responses based on tactical abilities, training, and resources.

“Deployment” means that a team has taken a tactical approach to resolving a law enforcement matter that exceeds the duties of traditional police officers.

“Documented training” means a permanent record of training that includes the:

“Law enforcement agency” has the meaning stated in Public Safety Article, §3-201, Annotated Code of Maryland.

“No-knock warrant service” means a law enforcement warrant service operation in which a police officer does not announce the police officer’s presence prior to obtaining entrance to a premises.

“Special tactical response” means a planned, strategic, tactical response to resolve critical incidents that may exceed the capabilities of traditional law enforcement officers and investigative unit personnel.

Special Tactical Response Team.

Develop written policies and procedures for special tactical responses that:

Ensure team members successfully complete the individual and team training requirements established in Regulation .04A of this chapter prior to initial deployment; and

Ensure special tactical response teams:

A tactical commander of supervisory rank who has overall responsibility for team personnel, training, operations, deployment, and after-action documentation;

A team leader who is a team member of senior team status or rank, reports directly to the tactical commander, and develops and executes tactical response training and operations; and

Team members who provide specialized law enforcement capabilities to contain, prevent, or respond to critical and high-risk situations.

Tactical command and control;

Perimeter control and containment;

Entry and apprehension; and

Hostage rescue.

Delineate, establish, and specify a law enforcement chain of command, operational control, duties and responsibilities of supporting units, and joint training requirements; and

Specify which agency is charged with jurisdiction in the event of a criminal investigation involving the actions of a team member, such as an officer-involved shooting.

Prior to initial deployment, each new team leader or member shall attend and successfully complete a Commission-approved course of study that includes:

A Commission-approved course of study for initial special tactical response shall include a minimum of 40 hours of classroom instruction, written examination, and practical exercise that meets the standards established in §A(1) of this regulation.

Successful completion of a Commission-approved course of study for initial special tactical response requires a police officer to obtain a minimum passing score of 80 percent in all classes.

Quarterly, each team leader and member shall complete a minimum of 24 hours of documented training in one or more of the following special tactical core competencies:

Each special tactical response team shall successfully complete a minimum of 40 hours of documented, team-based training over a 12-month period, with the full team, consisting of lectures, drills, operational risk assessments, and scenario-based exercises.

Training hours obtained during a team-based training as specified in §B(2) of this regulation may be applied to an individual team member’s quarterly training requirement if the team-based training:

If a team member maintains one or more specialized team positions, such as deliberate hostage rescue, or integrated tactical response K-9, the team member shall participate in additional documented training that is mandated and specific to each specialized position.

A tactical commander shall attend and successfully complete a documented tactical commander course within 1 year of assignment to a special tactical response team.

Biennially, a tactical commander shall successfully complete a minimum of 16 hours of one or more of the following training topics:

Successfully completes the minimum training requirements established in Regulation .06 of this chapter prior to service of a no-knock warrant; and

Adheres to the law enforcement agency’s internal policy and procedures.

Is reasonable;

Increases the risk or danger to the police officer and others; or

Inhibits the effective investigation of a crime by enabling the destruction or tampering of evidence.

The purpose and intent of warrant service;

Tactical response theory and concepts;

Operational planning;

Basic entry and search techniques;

Crisis negotiation and de-escalation skills;

Legal requirements;

Problem solving situations in a scenario-based learning environment; and

Multi-agency, mutual aid warrant services procedures.

Ensure compliance with all applicable training standards within this chapter;

Conduct a documented threat and risk assessment to determine the appropriate response and resources necessary for the mission; and

Develop a mission-specific operational plan and orders.

A tactical commander, or senior member, shall conduct a debriefing of each incident in which a special tactical response or police officers involved in no-knock warrant operations were deployed.

A tactical commander shall prepare, appropriately disseminate, and retain an after-action report in accordance with agency policy and Maryland law.