SWAT TEAMS SAVE 'COUNTLESS LIVES'

Sharon Dolovich's Sept. 22 commentary ("Invasion of SWAT Teams Leaves
Trauma and Death") grossly distorts the role of Special Weapons and Tactics
teams in law enforcement. Dolovich tries to paint a picture of these highly
trained and remarkably effective teams as a bunch of cowboys running amok
in our society. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Before we had specialized entry teams, narcotics search warrants and other
high-risk warrants had to be served by patrol officers and detectives with
little or no training in the tactics of high-risk building entry and
search. Experience taught us that search and arrest warrants could be
served much more safely by using teams of officers who are specially
trained and equipped and who work together regularly.

Today's specially trained and equipped entry teams that are usually staffed
by SWAT members have undoubtedly saved countless lives when serving
high-risk search warrants on drug dealers and other violent criminals. The
raid on the Branch Davidian compound at Waco is the best argument that can
be made for specially trained and equipped entry teams. In that instance,
the majority of the officers lacked in-depth special training in high-risk
entry tactics and most had never worked together before that day. The death
toll on both sides was staggering--and that's exactly what we aim to
prevent from happening again.

JOHN M. QUINZIO
Westminster