CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – New Hampshire’s Safety Department and the state police chiefs association are planning to conduct joint training for state and regional special operations units.
The effort is aimed at enabling the agencies to become more familiar with one another’s operations in the event of a large-scale disaster where multiple teams might be required to respond simultaneously.
The first of a series of joint Special Operations Unit exercises will take place in the near future. This will involve the State Police SWAT team and the Strafford County Special Operations Unit.
Amid Questions, Regional SWAT Team Comes Under Review
“The State Attorney General’s Office has asked for an outside review of all regional special operations units following its investigation into an officer-involved shooting in Charlestown.
Deputy Attorney General Orville “Bud” Fitch read a statement from Attorney General Kelly Ayotte to the New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Council and told the council “it might be very helpful to law enforcement in general to have a professional, neutral set of recommendations…,” according to the minutes of an Aug. 26 meeting.
“With the increased use of these teams, not only for barricade/hostage situations but in some cases for crowd control, high risk arrests and drug raids, we feel it would be beneficial for law enforcement and the public to have an outside expert complete an independent review of the training and model standards for operational protocols of those teams,” wrote Ayotte.”