Former Baltimore SWAT Leader Says Field Requires 'Self-Discipline'
Officer Dave Sweren has been working for the Baltimore County Police Department for 25 years. Throughout his extensive career, Sweren has taken on several responsibilities and fulfilled a number of roles including 17 years spent on the SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) team.
Sweren has an A.A. degree in criminal justice from Catonsville Community College and a B.A. in interdisciplinary studies from Towson University. He was also a military police soldier for the National Guard, a corrections officer for the Baltimore County Sheriff's Office, and a sheriff deputy. He later switched to patrolling for the Baltimore County Police Department and then applied to SWAT school. He joined the team in 1997 and served through 2013 before returning to patrol work.
What were your responsibilities on the SWAT team?
"When I left the team, I was serving as the team leader, which runs daily operations during incidents. The team leader is the senior member of the team who displays the knowledge and ability to lead other members during critical incidents. This requires years of operation experience and the ability to lead with the support from the other team members. The team leader does everything from assigning positions to conducting training."
What was your favorite part about your daily duties?
"I enjoyed teaching the newer members how to properly perform tactics and how to overcome obstacles."
What do you do to continue your education and training?
"I always continue to train and learn because things in this field never stay the same. I try to sign up for additional training and schools whenever available. I have also studied departmental administrative material to better understand the department and how it functions."
Do you have any advice for others looking to enter this field?
"My advice to anyone considering working any special operations sections is to understand what the function is for what they signed up for. This type of field is for the type of person who doesn't require outward gratification. The good SWAT guys are the ones who take care of business and are never heard from. It is for the mature person who takes responsibility for their actions and displays a great deal of self-discipline."
Laura Catherine Hermoza has a lifelong love for writing. In addition to serving as a contributor to various media publications, she is also a published novelist of several books and works as a proofreader/editor. LC resides in Baltimore County.
