In a first for the department, the San Antonio Police Department is offering the public an opportunity to train with members of its SWAT team.
"This is a little taste of what it's going to be like and what it's going to take if they eventually want to join SWAT once they become an SAPD officer," said department recruiter, Officer Leigh Holderby.
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On Wednesday, members of the SWAT team gathered to train for "breaching and movements," or making entry into a location.
Openings on the team are rare- one every few years- and dozens of people may apply for one position. But Holderby says applicants always tend to ask about how they can land a spot. On Nov. 2, anyone interested can get a taste of what it takes.
"By the time we get the call to respond, the situation has gotten pretty bad," said SWAT team member, Jesse Noriega. "Don't look at this job as a cool job. Look at this job as an important job with a lot of responsibility."
Noriega said every SWAT team member started out as a patrolman on the streets.
"If you're not hustling, not working hard, then you're probably not made for this team," he said.
The open training is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the SAPD Training Academy.
Participants can take part in a Q&A session with SWAT members during that time.
To sign up for the training, visit the SAPD Careers Facebook page or email leigh.holderby@sanantonio.gov.
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