A highly trained SWAT team north of Atlanta will have a new member.
Chamblee’s city leaders voted Tuesday to allow its police department to join the North Metro SWAT Team, a partnership between four other cities in north DeKalb and Fulton counties. The special weapons and tactics unit responds to high-risk situations, including hostage rescues and standoffs with armed suspects.
The North Metro SWAT Team was founded in 2009 and was comprised of officers from Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Johns Creek and Sandy Springs. Chamblee police Chief Kerry Thomas said three of his officers completed training to join the SWAT team’s ranks. The SWAT team is a dual assignment for the officers, who will still perform their local duties in Chamblee.
“It offers an opportunity for us to be able to respond to a critical emergency situation a little bit faster,” Thomas said during a work session last week. The city currently relies on DeKalb County police’s SWAT team or the North Metro SWAT Team to respond to high-risk situations.
Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC
Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC
To join, Chamblee agreed to pay $20,000 in initial equipment costs, and the city will have to make a large equipment purchase at some point in the future. The other four cities have all purchased police vehicles or other tactical equipment since the SWAT Team’s inception. Each city has to renew the partnership agreement each year.
The unit, which trains about 16 hours each month, consists of more than 30 members and currently serves an area with more than 280,000 residents. With Chamblee joining the team, that coverage increases to more than 300,000 people.
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