This article is based on research conducted as a part of the CA POST Command College. It is a futures study of a particular emerging issue of relevance to law enforcement. Its purpose is not to predict the future; rather, to project a variety of possible scenarios useful for planning and action in anticipation of the emerging landscape facing policing organizations.
The article was created using the futures forecasting process of Command College and its outcomes. Managing the future means influencing it — creating, constraining and adapting to emerging trends and events in a way that optimizes the opportunities and minimizes the threats of relevance to the profession.
By Lieutenant Charles Fisher
Law enforcement agencies nationwide are grappling with a persistent staffing crisis. In response, many departments have ramped up recruitment and retention efforts, offering unprecedented incentives to bring in new officers. While rebuilding the workforce is important, an exclusive focus on recruitment misses a critical opportunity for meaningful change.
Today’s staffing shortfalls offer a unique moment for police leaders to rethink which services and roles are truly essential. It’s a chance to pursue regional collaboration, adopt emerging technologies, explore selective privatization and root out inefficiencies — with the same urgency devoted to hiring. Without modernizing outdated structures that no longer serve current policing demands, recruitment efforts alone will fall short.
Regionalizing specialized units
Regionalizing specialized units like SWAT is an underutilized strategy that could both alleviate staffing pressures and enhance service delivery. A 2013 national survey revealed that 60% of law enforcement agencies in the United States managed their own SWAT teams, while only 30% were part of multi-agency teams. The remaining agencies reported having no access to SWAT services. [1]
Furthermore, only 4.3% of these agencies had full-time SWAT operators; most personnel divided their time between regular duties and SWAT responsibilities. This arrangement burdens both personnel and agencies, limiting operators’ training, experience and readiness for high-risk deployments while increasing administrative overhead for agencies maintaining large part-time teams.
Pooling resources across neighboring jurisdictions to form regional SWAT teams, or at least integrating full-time operators into predominantly collateral-based teams, could significantly enhance operational effectiveness. This shift would reduce the strain on operators, allowing them to focus primarily on their specialized tasks, leading to better performance in high-risk situations. Full-time teams would benefit from more frequent training and deployment, leading to improved readiness.
A successful example of regionalization exists in Orange County, California, where the North County SWAT team operates on a part-time basis but is staffed by over 80 members from six local agencies. This collaboration allows for a more comprehensive response capability, including tactical dispatchers, crisis negotiators and tactical medics. [2] If adopted on a larger scale, such regional teams can provide a higher level of service to the community, ensuring a more consistent and prepared SWAT response.
Regionalizing specialized units is not just about cost savings or reallocating personnel; it’s a leadership-driven effort to improve the efficiency and responsiveness of law enforcement services. By consolidating resources across jurisdictions, regional SWAT teams gain access to a larger pool of skilled officers, advanced equipment and enhanced training opportunities. [3] The benefits of full-time SWAT personnel are evident, as these operators focus solely on tactical readiness, allowing them to maintain a constant state of preparedness. Full-time teams are not burdened by other duties, and this level of specialization ensures SWAT teams are better trained, more consistent in their performance and capable of handling complex, high-stakes scenarios efficiently. [4] Additionally, by selecting the best personnel from multiple agencies, regionalization avoids the challenges faced by smaller departments with limited resources, ultimately leading to a higher level of public safety service.
Beyond SWAT teams, regionalization offers a broader path forward for law enforcement agencies facing staffing shortages. Whether it is consolidating custody facilities, dispatch centers or other specialized units, pooling resources across jurisdictions improves service delivery while reducing financial and personnel burdens on individual departments. By embracing regionalization, law enforcement leaders can not only tackle current challenges but also build more sustainable and resilient systems equipped to meet evolving public safety demands.
References
1. International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Tactical Officers Association. National special weapons and tactics (SWAT) study: A national assessment of critical trends and issues from 2009 to 2013. 2018.
2. Fullerton Police. SWAT.
3. French G. How to stand up a regional SWAT team. Police1.
4. National Tactical Officers Association. Tactical response and operations standard for law enforcement agencies. April 2018.
About the author
Lieutenant Charles E. Fisher is a seasoned law enforcement professional with over two decades of experience in policing, leadership and strategic planning. He currently serves as the Traffic and Special Events Division commander at the Torrance Police Department in California. He has held key leadership roles, including Patrol Division commander, Special Investigations Division commander and Personnel/Internal Affairs Division commander.
A graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, Fisher holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a Master of Arts in security studies. He has a strong background in homeland security, recruitment and retention strategies and organizational risk management. Throughout his career, he has managed specialized law enforcement units, including canine details, explosive detection units, field training programs and recruitment and retention initiatives. He has contributed to national discussions on law enforcement’s response to homelessness, and his expertise has been recognized through multiple commendations, including two U.S. Attorneys’ Awards for Investigative Achievement.
Committed to community service, Fisher serves on advisory boards addressing critical policing issues and volunteers as a board member for a local nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting homeless families. His dedication to evidence-based policing and innovative leadership continues to shape the future of law enforcement.