In 2012 the Erlanger Police Department saw the need and benefits of having highly trained officers to conduct special police operations outside the normal scope of police patrol. Recognizing that the presence of a highly trained, highly skilled team has been shown to substantially reduce the risk of injury or loss of life to citizens, police officers and suspects, the Erlanger Police Department formed the Special Response Team.

The mission of the Special Response Team is to handle special police operations such as Hostage situations, Barricaded Suspects, Sniper Situations,  High risk warrants and Apprehensions, Dignitary Protection and any other situation beyond the scope of routine patrol.

The officers would receive specialty training in these areas and utilize specialty equipment to complete the missions in the safest manner possible minimizing the risk to everyone involved. Additional benefit to the department would be that the officers receiving this training would bring that knowledge back with them to other officers on their shifts sharing their knowledge and improving overall tactics for each individual officer on the department. As the team continued to grow and evolve it saw the addition of 6 tactical paramedics incorporated into the team.  The added safety of having paramedics immediately available on high risk missions is invaluable to both personnel, victims, and citizens.  Working together with city fire services we have seen a partnership form and grow resulting in the pooling and sharing of resources creating a substantial dollar savings to the City. The partnership has also enhanced the camaraderie between the police and fire departments, enhancing the levels of cooperation between the two when working together on daily calls for service.

The Erlanger SRT was used this past year for events such as high risk search and arrest warrants, barricaded subjects with firearms, and an armed robbery suspect that was believed to have become a possible hostage barricade incident. The team continues to train on the latest and most up to date tactics staying ever ready for the varying situations of uncertainty of today’s society.