9/23/2008
Local Team Finishes 2nd in "Best in the West" SWAT Competition 

Last week, on Thursday, September 18th and Friday, September 19th, the Santa Clara Sheriff’s Department hosted the annual “Best In The West” S.W.A.T. Competition at the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Training Facility in San Jose, California. This is the largest annual invitational S.W.A.T. competition in the Western United States.

Each year, members of the Santa Clara Sheriff’s Department’s Emergency Response Team design, physically construct, and run an intensive two-day competition, pitting Special Weapons and Tactic (S.W.A.T.) teams from all over the West against each other, in a multi-jurisdictional learning experience unequaled in this part of the country. The competition included numerous variations and twists designed to keep returning teams challenged to the utmost. The competition is tough and tests the physical ability and proficiency of the teams and this year’s competition was no exception.

Twenty-five teams, totaling 150 individual competitors, vied for the sought after title of the “Best In The West” S.W.A.T. Team. Some of the major S.W.A.T. Teams competing were: California Highway Patrol, San Francisco P.D., San Jose P.D., BART (San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit Police Department), Reno Police Department, Department of Energy Livermore, and the U.S. Air Force Security Squadron. Additionally, several Sheriff's Departments' tactical teams and police department teams from across the state competed, many of which are full-time S.W.A.T. Teams.

The Simi Valley Police Department’s S.W.A.T. Team, which is comprised of twenty Officers whose assignment to S.WA.T. is ancillary to their primary assignment, finished in second place overall for the second year in a row. In addition to the Team award, Officer Dave Hodgson finished in first place in the individual Shotgun Course and Officer Tom Chapple finished fourth in the Combined Weapons Course.

These same Simi Valley Officers had competed earlier that same week in the 14th Annual Ventura S.W.A.T. Competition and finished in third place. There were 14 S.W.A.T. Teams competing in that event from all across Southern California. Chief Mike Lewis said, “The S.W.A.T. Team is to be congratulated for its success in these events and recognized for its commitment to strenuous and intensive preparation in order to be ready to respond to any situation which may occur in our community.”

The Simi Valley Police Department S.W.A.T. Team's participation in these events was made possible by financial assistance received from the Simi Valley Police Foundation.