History Main / SWATTeam

** In recent years after 9/11, the SPF has created various police tactical units to serve as first response units before STAR (or the Singaporean military) would be sent in to resolve an incident. They comprise the Special Guard and Counter-Terrorism Unit/Special Action Group/Special Tactical Unit (from Gurkha Contingent), In-Situ Reaction Team (from Protection Command) and the Special Task Squadron (from the Police Coast Guard).

* American prisons have CERT (Correctional Emergency Response Team), who serve a roughly analogous role.

*** And the PNP also has a specialized counter-terrorism team, the Special Action Force.

* One appears in ''ComicBook/AllNewUltimates'', led by Paul "The Crippler" Dennis.

* In ''Series/Phoenix1992'', thanks to several real-life scandals at the time, the Major Crime squad has to show they have reasonable cause to believe the criminals are armed before they can even deploy the Special Operations Group. And this while they're investigating a case involving a [[CopKiller car bomb set off outside a police station]]. After they do a raid and find that the crooks have an Uzi on the premises (fortunately not used), then Lochie nearly gets shot with an elephant gun, they eventually get permission.

SWAT teams in fiction are often inaccurately portrayed as opening fire immediately on suspects, or otherwise being TriggerHappy, or even deliberately killing suspects who present no immediate threat. In reality, as the page quote shows, SWAT serves as a life-saving police unit with ThouShaltNotKill rules. The ideal objective when a SWAT team is sent in is that ''everyone''--hostage, bystander, operator, and suspect--comes out alive. SWAT officers have very specific procedures they usually have to follow; for example, a SWAT officer is supposed to clearly identify himself to a suspect, and can only open fire if the suspect raises a weapon or otherwise presents a threat to the life or safety of another. Of course, police procedures in a fictional setting may also deliberately diverge from real life, and even in reality, not all jurisdictions have the same standards.

In recent years, the deployment of SWAT teams in real life has been increasingly called into question. Originally intended to respond to situations that, typically, would be unlikely to be encountered even once in any given officer's entire career, the vast majority of SWAT deployments are now to execute arrest and search warrants, often against non-violent offenders. Radley Balko's non-fiction book ''Rise of the Warrior Cop'' covers a lot of the history of SWAT--noting that in the LAPD standoff with the Symbionese Liberation Army, the SWAT team asked for a grenade launcher and were told in no uncertain terms that they did not have permission to obtain or use one. Fastforward to the present day, and ''hundreds'' of surplus grenade launchers, armoured vehicles, and even ''fifty-caliber machine guns'' have been [[http://www.vice.com/read/the-pentagon-is-giving-grenade-launchers-to-campus-police-904 given to police forces across America]] -- despite the fact that [[http://www.ted.com/talks/steven_pinker_on_the_myth_of_violence violent crime has been declining for decades]]. Indeed, in the late 2010s, "[=SWATting=]" attacks (where a hoax call is used to try and bait a SWAT team into raiding someone's house -- leading to [[https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/15/tyler-barriss-swatting-death-regret a fatality shortly after the Christmas in 2017]]) have become a serious issue, especially amongst Platform/{{YouTube}}rs, livestreamers, and other online celebrities.

* ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'': SWAT units appear in both ''Film/BatmanBegins'' and ''Film/TheDarkKnight''. In the former, they're little more than a RedshirtArmy who can't stop either Batman or the villains, but in the latter, they are actually pretty competent and effective once [[spoiler:they realize the Joker has switched the hostages and his minions]]. SWAT appears again early on in ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises''; in the initial engagement with Daggett's men, they hold their own, but a number of them are easily sniped by Barsad, Bane's right-hand man. Many of the cops sent to search the sewers are also SWAT.

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[[quoteright:350:[[Film/SWAT2003 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/swatmovie.png]]]]

--> -- '''[[SergeantRock Sgt. Dan "Hondo" Harrelson]]''', ''Film/SWAT2003''

The role of the SWAT team in fiction varies depending on the work in question. If they're on the heroes' side, they can be either [[BadassArmy elite, well-equipped problem solvers]], [[TheCavalry the rescue party]] who [[BigDamnHeroes bursts in to save the day]], or [[RedshirtArmy inept or ill-fated mooks]] who [[TheWorfEffect die to show how dangerous the villains are]]. In other works, a SWAT team can serve as a HeroAntagonist if they oppose a protagonist who is falsely accused or otherwise principled but on the wrong side of the law. If the protagonists are criminals, a SWAT team is often the GasMaskMooks that exist to get gunned down, or [[EliteMooks a major threat to the protagonists.]] In very cynical works involving a CrapsackWorld or dystopia, the SWAT team can be StateSec made up of {{Dirty Cop}}s. Effectiveness and role generally depends on the SlidingScaleOfLawEnforcement.

In recent years, the deployment of SWAT teams in real life has been increasingly called into question. Originally intended to respond to situations that, typically, would be unlikely to be encountered even once in any given officer's entire career, the vast majority of SWAT deployments are now to execute arrest and search warrants, often against non-violent offenders. Radley Balko's non-fiction book ''Rise Of The Warrior Cop'' covers a lot of the history of SWAT--noting that in the LAPD standoff with the Symbionese Liberation Army, the SWAT team asked for a grenade launcher and were told in no uncertain terms that they did not have permission to obtain or use one. Fastforward to the present day, and ''hundreds'' of surplus grenade launchers, armoured vehicles, and even ''fifty-caliber machine guns'' have been [[http://www.vice.com/read/the-pentagon-is-giving-grenade-launchers-to-campus-police-904 given to police forces across America]] - despite the fact that [[http://www.ted.com/talks/steven_pinker_on_the_myth_of_violence violent crime has been declining for decades]]. Indeed, in the late 2010's "[=SWATting=]" attacks (where a hoax call is used to try and bait a SWAT team into raiding someone's house -- leading to [[https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/15/tyler-barriss-swatting-death-regret a fatality shortly after the Christmas in 2017]]) have become a serious issue, especially amongst [[Website/YouTube Youtubers]], livestreamers, and other online celebrities.

* SWAT teams are featured throughout ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex''; on three occasions, Section Nine deploys to resolve hostage situations Niihama SWAT can't handle; Batou and Saito rescue a Japanese Coast Guard [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Security_Team Special Security Team]] operator; Aramaki holds off a corrupt [=CO19=] team in London with a grenade, an alarm clock, and clever thinking; and there's the Narcotics Suppression Squad, a SWAT Team made of [[DirtyCop dirty cops]] and unsavory types, run by the ''Ministry of Health''.
** And then by ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplexSolidStateSociety'', Section Nine has grown large enough that it has its own dedicated SWAT Team.
* SWAT snipers are deployed by the Dubai Police Force during the Orchestra arc of ''Manga/{{Jormungand}}'', but aren't terribly effective.

* Anti-Skill in ''Literature/ACertainMagicalIndex'' is the non-powered portion of city law enforcement, and most frequently shows up as SWAT teams. They're fairly competent, but out of their league against the more powerful Espers and sorcerers.
* The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department deploys the Special Assault Team in ''Anime/TerrorInResonance'' to locate the bombs Sphinx planted in Episode 3. The SAT is again deployed in Episode 6 to secure Haneda Airport against a terrorist attack.

* A few Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais elements (Special Police Operations Battalion) were sent to raid the penthouse in Rio de Janeiro where Alucard and Seras are staying in the third volume of ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'', having been told by their Millennium-backed superiors that they are terrorists. Their performance against Alucard is... [[CurbStompBattle typical]].

* In ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'', a NYPD [=ESU=] team goes after Rorschach midway through the comic and subdues him, though not without him kicking some serious ass in the process.
* ''ComicBook/ThePunisher'': SWAT's effectiveness varies. they're generally portrayed as reasonably competent, but not ''as'' skilled, experienced, or especially as ruthless and violent as Frank Castle.
* In the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, a New York city [=ESU=] team named Code: Blue, composed of badass cops equipped with above-average technology occasionally helps the local heroes deal with supervillains.
* Franchise/{{Superman}}'s home city of Metropolis also has a similar team known as the Special Crimes Unit.
* In ''ComicBook/BatmanYearOne'', Gotham City's Police Dept.'s SWAT team is a murderous goon squad gleefully following the orders of the corrupt Commission Loeb. When they tried to corner and kill Franchise/{{Batman}}, they are no match for him.
* ''ComicBook/AllNewUltimates'': There is one, led by Paul "The Crippler" Dennis.

* The WWE alternate universe story ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/14997911/chapters/34760702 The Horsewomen Of Las Vegas]]'' occasionally will show the SWAT team in action, led by Sergeant Bill Wrestling/{{Goldberg}}. The team also includes Wrestling/BobbyLashley and Wrestling/ChrisMasters

* SWAT units appear in both ''Film/BatmanBegins'' and ''Film/TheDarkKnight''. In the former, they're little more than a RedshirtArmy who can't stop either Batman or the villains, but in the latter they are actually pretty competent and effective, once [[spoiler:they realize the Joker has switched the hostages and his minions.]]
* SWAT appears again early on in ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises''; in the initial engagement with Daggett's men they hold their own, but a number of them are easily sniped by Barsad, Bane's right hand man. Many of the cops sent to search the sewers are also SWAT.
* In ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'', an LAPD SWAT team responds to the break-in at Cyberdyne. They fatally wound Miles Dyson, but are utterly helpless against a cyborg like the T-800, who casually incapacitates most of them without killing them.
* In ''Film/TheNegotiator'', a SWAT unit attacks protagonist Danny Roman when a couple of [[DirtyCop Dirty Cops]] try to take him out when he gets too close to the truth behind his friend's murder. The SWAT team is driven back without anyone getting killed, though one of them is captured in the process.
* In ''Film/TheSiege'', the FBI SWAT team leads the raid on a safehouse where co-conspirators in the bombing of an MTA bus are holed up. During both bus hostage situations, the NYPD Emergency Services Unit makes appearances.
* Both Boston Police Department and FBI SWAT teams appear in the Fenway Park shootout in ''Film/TheTown'', with the deaths of criminals Desmond Elden, James Coughlin and Albert Magloan all coming at the hands of SWAT team bullets.
* In ''Film/TheOne'', Jet Li's character Gabriel Law is a member of the Los Angeles County SWAT. An alternate-universe SWAT unit is also featured at the beginning of the movie, and a multiversal SWAT equivalent appears throughout the movie.

* In ''Film/HardBoiled'', HKPF Special Duties Unit operators show [[BigDamnHeroes Big Damn Heroics]] in the hospital siege by helping to evacuate the maternity ward.
* In ''Film/DawnOfTheDead1978'', a SWAT team, including two of the main characters, raid a Zombie-infested apartment building in the beginning. They sport the usual early-era black bulletproof vests and caps as well as M16 rifles.
* In ''Film/Mosul2020'', the Nineveh Province SWAT team has spent a better part of the ISIS occupation of Iraq resisting the forces of ''Daesh'' with unparalleled brutality and commitment. By the events of the film, ''Daesh'' considers their ilk to be labelled "unforgivable" and will not take any SWAT member prisoner. The SWAT returns that sentiment to ''Daesh'' tenfold.

* ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'': A van of SWAT officers are among the assassins who ambush Nick Fury while disguised as police officers. Their van is also carrying a tripod mounted battering ram meant to breach the bulletproof glass on Fury's SUV.

* The ''Literature/RainbowSix'' novel and games focus on an international version of this composed of special forces troops and police officers recruited from various nations who work as a counter-terror and hostage rescue unit.
** Other Creator/TomClancy novels have included appearances by the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team. An HRT sniper is a recurring character.
* In ''Literature/ShadowOps'', a New York City [=ESU=] team is assigned to support [[MageKiller Shadow Coven]] when they're called in to take down a rogue [[BodyHorror Physiomancer]] loose in the sewers underneath the city. Being {{Muggles}} in a setting where said Physiomancer can literally reshape human flesh at will (both others and its own), most of the unit gets horribly massacred in the ensuing encounter.
* In ''Literature/{{Daemon}}'', a FBI Hostage Rescue Team attempts to assault Sobol's booby-trapped mansion. Most are driven back, but one of them, Roy "Tripwire" Merritt, manages to get in, becoming a HeroAntagonist and FamedInStory.
* ''Literature/LastManStanding'': This Creator/DavidBaldacci novel is about FBIAgent Web London, the SoleSurvivor of an FBI HRT raid that spectacularly failed with the entire team except Web being taken out by an [[SentryGun Auto-turret]]. Web spends the novel dealing with the trauma, the guilt and eventually investigating the circumstances behind the failed raid.
* ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban'' has "hit-wizards" among the Ministry of MLAgic law enforcement personals who arrested Sirius Black on 1981.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* The TV series ''Series/SWAT1975'', which the above-mentioned film was based on and was one of the earliest examples on TV. Generally what happens is a crisis goes down that requires SWAT attention, the SWAT team gears up and piles into its infamous "War Wagon", and the criminals give up the second they see SWAT on the scene.
* ''Series/SWAT2017'', an adaptation of both the original 1975 series and the 2003 film, is likewise about the members of an LAPD SWAT unit.
* Both SWAT teams and FBI Hostage Rescue Teams appear in ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles'' frequently, when police and the FBI close in on either the Connors or the machines hunting them. It almost always ends ''badly'' for them. Their usage here falls under WrongGenreSavvy in that Ellison knew he was against a serious threat and called out the HRT, assuming they could deal with any reasonable enemy. Unfortunately he was dealing with a [[ImmuneToBullets Terminator]] and SWAT teams don't bring anti-tank weapons.
* ''Series/TwentyFour'' features numerous variations of SWAT teams and federal response units, and CTU has their tactical teams. They generally serve as a RedshirtArmy, as the phrase "we're setting up a perimeter" is synonymous with "the badguys are already escaping." When the tactical teams ''do'' manage to contain the badguys, however, the resulting gunfight is usually a CurbstompBattle in favor of the good guys.
* In ''Series/TheCape'', the local city's SWAT units are actually PrivateMilitaryContractors that serve as the FacelessGoons for the [[MegaCorp Ark Corporation]].
* ''Series/{{Flashpoint}}'' is about the Strategic Response Unit, which is an Emergency Response Team-type unit based in a CityWithNoName (filmed in Toronto, Canada). Much like the original ''Series/SWAT1975'', nearly every episode has them responding to a major incident that in real life would be a rare event.
* SWAT teams have appeared from time to time on ''Series/BurnNotice'', usually forcing Team Westen the additional challenge of avoiding shootouts they can't win.
* FBI Hostage Rescue Teams also show from time to time on ''Series/CriminalMinds''; in one episode they deploy to protect the FBI building from an [=UnSub=] who's a [[RetiredBadass retired Navy SEAL]]. [[spoiler:He gets into the building before they're even deployed.]]
** Plenty of non-HRT SWAT teams show up in the series as well. Of particular note is one episode where a SWAT team launches a raid on a heavily armed cult compound while two members of the team and a social worker are inside, which after a gun battle leads to the team members getting captured and the social worker killed.
* Civilian SWAT teams appears a few times on ''Series/{{JAG}}''.

** In "The Martin Baker Fan Club", an MPD SWAT team enter Harm's appartment after one of the crazy fugitive veterans grabbed a side arm from a police officer. The suspect is arrested but another veteran is shot at.

* ''Series/BlueHeelers'' has the Victoria Police equivalent Special Operations Group used several times throughout the series. One season five episode had them wearing the Boonie hats and looking more like soldiers dressed as police or police with body armor and special weapons, much like the Heelers and other police are when they conduct high-risk operations. After the station bombing they are played straight; black outfits, helmets and body armor, storming, raiding and searching a bombing suspect, complete with weapons at low ready as they sweep and clear for any suspects or signs of explosives.
* SOG also appear as the black suited super soldiers they are in ''Series/{{Underbelly}}''. They work with detectives to entrap and barricade Jason Moran before using sledgehammers to break him out of his car, Steven Owen uses them to arrest Carl Williams after he made death threats (Owen claimed he was armed and extremely dangerous, so they roughed him up) as well as planting listening and monitoring devices.

* FBI SWAT officers appear in ''Series/TheBlacklist'', but are usually given the WorfEffect; the SWAT team escorting Liz, Ressler and the General's daughter in the pilot is slaughtered and the VIP captured, while in "Anslo Garrick," the SWAT officers guarding the black site are easily killed by Garrick's mercenaries.
* ''Series/PersonOfInterest''
** In "The Devil's Share", the US Marshals have a SWAT Team guarding Alonzo Quinn. They prove to be ineffective against [[OneManArmy John Reese]], who (while bleeding to death from barely treated gunshots) nonlethally curbstomps them to get to Quinn.
** In "Aletheia", a Northern Lights assassination team adopts the guise of an FBI SWAT Team to eliminate a Vigilance terrorist group that's holed up in a bank.
* As a show that revolves around the NYPD, ESU teams are a regular feature of ''Series/BlueBloods'', responding to a variety of situations (including guarding Frank after he's been shot).
* ''Series/HillStreetBlues'' is one of the few PoliceProcedural series to have the commander of the precinct's SWAT team[[note]]or rather, [[UnfortunateAcronym Emergency Action Team]] commander, who gets very annoyed when people make fun of the acronym[[/note]] as a regular character, in the form of [[CowboyCop gung-ho]] NobleBigotWithABadge Lt. Howard Hunter. A few of his team also achieve RecurringExtra status.
* ''Series/NineteenTwo'' has the Groupe tactique/Tactical Group for the Service de Police Métropolitain whenever the force needs them to go against armed criminals. [[RedShirtArmy Needless to say, they get into trouble when some of their elements get taken out by a bomb attack]], [[DirtyCop pointing to the possibility of a rogue cop helping out organized crime in Montreal.]]
* The Japanese drama ''S: The Last Policeman'' (which is based off of a manga) features a fictional police squad called NPS ([[WordSaladTitle National Police Safety Rescue]]) which is stated to have the ideal combination of the mobility of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Assault_Team SAT]] and the investigative skills of the SIT (Special Investigative Team). The movie sequel ''S: The Last Policeman - Recovery of our Future'' also has SAT, SIT, and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Security_Team SST]] units in it as well.
* ''Series/PowerRangersSPD'' (and the source series, ''Series/TokusouSentaiDekaranger'') featured a SWAT-themed SuperMode for the entire team; in this mode, they gain armor (including big vests), helmet add-ons (a headset and a targeting/infrared vision device), and large automatic weaponry. They also get the SWAT Megazord, composed of jets and able to turn into a Zord-sized {{BFG}} for containing criminals.
* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse: The Netflix shows make use of the NYPD Emergency Service Unit on several occasions.
** ''Series/{{Daredevil|2015}}'':
*** In season 1's "Condemned", an ESU squad is summoned to a hostage situation where Matt Murdock has overpowered a rookie police officer who stumbled upon him and Vladimir Ranskahov in an abandoned building. [[DirtyCop This ESU squad is working for Wilson Fisk]] and have been tasked with murdering several cops at the scene. A sniper on the team splits off from the others, goes to a nearby rooftop, and, when given the green light by James Wesley, guns down Detective Christian Blake (who has become a liability to Fisk) and two uniformed cops (to make it look random), while the rest of the team storm the building, kill the police officer that Matt overpowered, and then kill off Vladimir as he takes [[SuicideByCop one last stand]] holding them off so Matt can escape.
*** In season 2's "Dogs to a Gunfight," ESU is shown using Grotto as bait to lure the Punisher into a trap. They later try to shoot at the Punisher while he and Matt Murdock are engaged in fisticuffs on the rooftop.
*** In "Penny and Dime", ESU are shown on scene when Frank Castle is arrested in the cemetery. While he's recovering in the hospital from being tortured by the Kitchen Irish, he's considered a high enough risk prisoner (both to himself and other people) that an entire floor is cordoned off for him and guarded by an ESU squad overseen by Brett Mahoney.

*** The season 1 finale sees an FBI SWAT team escorting Fisk under guard to Rikers, until mercs working for Fisk ambush the convoy and try to free him (with season 3 implying that [[spoiler:Tammy Hattley]] tipped them off). And then it turns out one of the officers in the truck has been paid off by Fisk.
*** In season 3, [[ComicBook/BullseyeMarvelComics Benjamin "Dex" Poindexter]] is an FBI SWAT sniper assigned to bodyguarding Fisk as he's being transferred from Rikers to the Presidential Hotel. When the convoy is attacked by an Albanian hit squad trying to assassinate Fisk for snitching, Dex leaps into action and singlehandedly kills all of the assassins, [[ImprobableAimingSkills ricocheting bullets to hit men hiding around corners]], shooting two assassins in the head while they're clearly surrendering, and when his pistol runs out of bullets, hurls the gun and empty magazine at the last two assassins hard enough that the latter impales its target in the throat. Fisk subsequently takes Dex under his wing, and grooms the mentally unstable agent into becoming his new personal assassin.
*** "Aftermath": Anticipating that Matt will visit Melvin Potter upon noticing the fake Daredevil suit on Dex, Fisk sends an FBI SWAT team there to pick him up. Matt and Melvin fight off the SWAT team, though Melvin gets captured and Matt ends up having to flee empty-handed.
** ''Series/{{Jessica Jones|2015}}'': The police detail guarding Trish's hospital room in season 2 gets an ESU team after Jessica's mom kills Detective Costa's partner in the midst of escaping after a failed attempt to kill Trish. Some ESU accompany Costa when they catch up to Jessica at the ferris wheel right after her mom has been shot dead by Trish.
** ''Series/{{Luke Cage|2016}}'':

** ''Series/{{Iron Fist|2017}}'': Once Danny Rand has driven the Hand out of Rand Enterprises, Harold Meachum backstabs him by framing him for the Hand's activities and sends a DEA SWAT team after them. Danny and Colleen overpower the SWAT team and escape. After Danny, Colleen and Ward defeat Harold, Jeri Hogarth gets the assault charges against Danny and Colleen dropped [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney thanks to a generous contribution to the DEA Widows and Children's Fund.]]
** ''Series/{{The Defenders|2017}}'': An ESU team is summoned to Midland Circle in the climax and is responsible for evacuating Misty Knight after her right arm is cut off fighting Bakuto.
** ''Series/{{The Punisher|2017}}'':

* The Japanese PoliceProcedural ''Series/Crisis2017'' focuses on an [[PlausibleDeniability "unofficial"]] unit of the Special Investigation Team as they covertly dispose of terrorist threats to the state. The Special Assault Team also has a BigDamnHeroes moment in Episode 8.

** The most notable use of the SWAT team in the show is in the antepenultimate episode of season 1, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LSo8_fBE_k when they are about to arrest Avon Barksdale in his office]]. Jimmy [=McNulty=] sees the show of force as a little bit excessive, so he and Daniels do better: they just wordlessly walk up the stairs to the office like a walk in the park, put the handcuffs on Avon, then walk out. The only words being when [=McNulty=] tells Stringer, "[[BadassBoast Catch you later]]."
-->'''Jimmy [=McNulty=]:''' This isn't as much fun as I thought it would be...
-->'''Cedric Daniels:''' SWAT guys do love to break out their tools, don't they?
-->'''Jimmy [=McNulty=]:''' Do they think there's Tony Montana up there? These guys probably haven't touch a gun in years. ''[beat]'' Ah, fuck this shit. You and me, Lieutenant.

** Season 4 sees the hostile Lt. Charles Marimow, installed in Major Crimes on Rawls' orders to scuttle investigations with major political implications, utilize SWAT teams in a failed attempt to raid some of Marlo Stanfield's stash houses, but the information is bad and they only succeed in arresting some low-level members of Marlo's crew.

* In the 1990's Australian series ''Police Rescue'', having been involved in several real-life controversial shootings at the time, the NSW Tactical Response Group were portrayed as somewhat TriggerHappy to contrast with our heroes who of course were 'good' police who only wanted to save lives.
* In ''Series/{{Phoenix}}'', another 1990's Australian series, thanks to the above-mentioned scandals the Major Crime squad has to show they have reasonable cause to believe the criminals are armed before they can even deploy the Special Operations Group. And this while they're investigating a case involving a [[CopKiller car bomb set off outside a police station.]] After they do a raid and find the crooks have an Uzi on the premises (fortunately not used), then Lochie nearly gets shot with an elephant gun, they eventually get permission.
* ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet'': Detective Tim Bayliss was a former member of a SWAT unit. Shortly after joining Homicide, he tries to brag about his previous position only to be mocked by his colleagues when they pinpoint that he's never actually been out in the field.
* The Spanish TV show ''Series/MoneyHeist'' prominently features the actual real life Spain equivalent to the SWAT: The GEO, or "Grupo Especial de Operaciones" ("Special Operations Group"). They have a very active role in both story lines.

* ''Videogame/DoorKickers'' has the player controlling a SWAT unit to clear buildings of various armed criminals. The sequel, ''Door Kickers 2'', which is set in the Middle East against insurgents and terrorists, features the [[{{Qurac}} Nowheraki]] SWAT, which is a unit of soldiers and police native to the country. They have less advanced equipment compared with the Army Rangers and CIA squads, but can use shields, molotov cocktails, various types of Kalasnikov and NATO weapons, and [[ZergRush large numbers of light militia.]]
* SWAT serves as an enemy throughout the ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' games, generally as an antagonist in different missions, and as one of the grades of police response called in as more crimes are committed. By ''[[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV GTA IV]]'', the SWAT team is replaced by a Homeland Security {{expy}} known as NOOSE, the [[FunWithAcronyms National Office Of Security Enforcement]].
* The ''VideoGame/{{SWAT}}'' installments of the ''VideoGame/PoliceQuest'' games obviously involve this, eventually progressing from a point-and-click adventure game to a top-down tactical simulator to tactical squad-based [[VideoGame/SWAT3 first-person]] [[VideoGame/SWAT4 shooters]]. The ''SWAT'' games heavily emphasize the use of proper police procedure: cuff every enemy, collect evidence, report all injured or dead people, always announce your presence and demand surrender before firing, and ''especially'' emphasis on trying to take down suspects alive. The latest game in the series is ''SWAT 4'', made by Creator/IrrationalGames (the team behind ''VideoGame/BioShock'' and ''VideoGame/SystemShock 2'').
* A Detroit SWAT unit appears early on in ''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution'', containing the hostage situation at the Sarif factory. They eventually go in after Adam Jensen enters the facility and recovers the top secret prototype he's after. Jensen himself is also ex-SWAT team leader. In the sequel to this game, ''VideoGame/DeusExMankindDivided'', Jensen is now part of an Interpol SWAT unit called Task Force 29, which is comprised of ex-SAS and other Special Forces types.

* ''VideoGame/ThisIsThePolice'' has SWAT Teams, along with many other types of officer.

* In ''VideoGame/MafiaII'', Empire Bay has a SWAT unit that appears in several missions during the DLC's. This is a unique anachronism as the game is set during TheFifties and the first SWAT teams didn't become operational until about 1964 or 1968.
* ''VideoGame/PAYDAYTheHeist'' [[VideoGame/{{PAYDAY 2}} and its sequel]] has the SWAT as your main enemies since you're a heavily armed robber. The SWAT team come in varying appearances, gear, and tactics. There's also [[EliteMook special SWAT units]] designed to disable you quickly.
* SWAT in ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamOrigins'' is, for all intents and purposes, just another gang of thugs, usually seen shaking people off for protection money or violently disputing over turf with other gangs, and their chief is the single dirtiest cop in all GCPD (and that's saying something). They decide to completely ignore their police duties for the night in order to try to earn the bounty on Batman for themselves.
* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert3'': The Allied Peacekeeper is the basic infantry unit, essentially a SWAT member with military-grade armor and a shotgun with low range but high knockback. They also get a riot shield that lets them tank ridiculous amounts of damage, but its main use is to clear out garrisoned buildings (at the cost of the unit).

** S.T.A.R.S. (Special Tactics And Rescue Service) are the Raccoon Police Department's elite unit, brought in for the most dangerous missions. Each member wears a CustomUniform, many of them are either ex-military personnel or have unique specialist skills, they have use of their own helicopters and carry weapons that are unique among the police force, such as their customised "Samurai Edge" pistols.
* Japan's Special Assault Team is featured in ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'' in the introduction to several characters' story modes foiling an attempted hijacking of an airliner. Naoto's story mode begin with the hijacking, but the SAT members are not actually seen as she isn't out on the runway. Aigis's story mode also begins with the hijacking, and it is only in her mode that we see the SAT operation as it unfolds. [[PoliceAreUseless They are completely useless compared to the Shadow Operatives.]]
* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' may take place in the 2500s, but SWAT teams are still in use on most human worlds. They've only shown up in the games once, namely a brief appearance in the ''VideoGame/Halo3ODST'' audio logs where they take down an ex-cop who went postal.
* In ''VideoGame/ParasiteEve2'', the Los Angeles Police Department's SWAT unit is called into action to deal with a Neo-Mitochondrion Monster outbreak at the Akropolis skyscraper. By the time Aya Brea shows up on-scene, [[RedshirtArmy they're pretty much all dead.]]
* In ''VideoGame/WorldWarZ2019'', Tatsuo Matsumoto from the Japan chapter is a veteran policeman with years of experience in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's most prestigious special units: the Riot Control Unit, Special Assault Team, and Special Investigation Team.
* The titular Chimera Squad of ''VideoGame/XCOMChimeraSquad'' is set up like this, being limited in jurisdiction to a single city, a role based around taking down criminal and terrorist threats, a focus on breaching tactics, and travelling around in an [[AwesomePersonnelCarrier wheeled APC.]]

* The titular characters of ''WesternAnimation/SwatKats'' were implied to be this before [[{{Jerkass}} Commander Feral]] kicked them out of the Enforcers and [[ReassignedToAntarctica demoted them to a salvage yard]]; hence their names as vigilantes. (Indeed, they function as the SWAT equivalent because they're the ones to beat the villains after the Enforcers have failed; but they typically dress in flight suits, not typical SWAT gear, and tend to use non-lethal weaponry along the lines of AbnormalAmmo, though they ''will'' kill if necessary.)
* On ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'' a SWAT team arrests a squirrel for stealing a gas cap from Rocko. They all consist of koalas with [[LiteralMinded fly-swatters.]]

[[folder: Web Original]]
* The titular WebVideo/AnimeCrimesDivision maintains its own SWAT team, who are deployed multiple times in later episodes to deal with a SerialKiller, raid the Neo-Otaku City version of a RedLightDistrict, and guard the city's fiber-optic cables.
[[/folder]]

* Germany has the GSG-9 (''Grenzschutzgruppe 9'' - Border Protection Group 9) a highly successful anti-terror group which was formed after the [[Film/{{Munich}} 1972 Olympic Games Massacre]], which saw [[http://youtu.be/CIicN7RXyRs?t=4m32s common riot police and beat cops advancing on the terrorists in stahlhelms and colourful tracksuits (in a botched attampt at 'disguise') with military-grade rifles they had never used before.]] In recent years, the [=SEKs=] and [=MEKs=] fulfill the SWAT role while the GSG-9 functions similarly to the Hostage Rescue Team when federal police resources are used.

* UsefulNotes/BritishCoppers have these as well, easily recognisable because they're the ''only'' uniformed police who openly carry firearms (Officers of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary[[note]]who guard Britain's Nuclear reactors - Britain' [[UsefulNotes/UltimateDefenceOfTheRealm nuclear weapons]] are guarded by the military, rather than civilian, police[[/note]] or Protection Command[[note]]whose remit is the protection of senior politicians, members of the Royal Family, and Diplomats[[/note]] may also carry weapons, but you're pretty unlikely to see one in your day-to-day life). The Metropolitan Police's Specialist Crime and Operations Specialist Firearms Command, [=SCO19=] (Previously known as S019 or C019) is probably the most famous, thanks to BritainIsOnlyLondon. Of about 130,000 police officers in the United Kingdom, only about 6,600 are Authorised Firearms Officers, and Specialist Firearms Officers who train on SWAT-type tactics are even rarer - London only has about 70. The highest level of qualification for [=AFOs=] to try is for the Counter Terrorist Specialist Firearms Officers ([=CTSFO=]), which was initially created to provide security to Greater London for the 2012 Olympics. They are mostly deployed in teams to events where there's a likelihood of a terrorist attack/incident, although they are called in to help take down heavily armed criminals.

* Spain has the GEO (''Grupo Especial de Operaciones'' - Special Operations Group) which is part of the national police. It was openly inspired in the German GSG-9 and the British SAS.

** The Central (armed) Reserve Police Force was next, with the establishment of the [=COBRAs=] - Commando Battalions for Resolute Action, although this unit is more geared towards jungle warfare against guerrilla insurgents.

*** Benjamin "Dex" Poindexter is an FBI SWAT sniper assigned to bodyguarding Fisk as he's being transferred from Rikers to the Presidential Hotel. He ends up catching Fisk's attention after he singlehandedly kills an Albanian hit squad that kills several of his colleagues in an attempt to assassinate Fisk for snitching, and from there, gets slowly turned by Fisk into [[ComicBook/BullseyeMarvelComics a professional hitman]].

** ''Series/{{Jessica Jones|2015}}'': The police detail guarding Trish's hospital room in season 2 gets an ESU team after Jessica's mom kills Detective Costa's partner in the midst of escaping after a failed attempt to kill Trish. Some ESU accompany Costa when they catch up to Jessica at the ferris wheel right after her mom has been killed by Trish.

* UsefulNotes/BritishCoppers have these as well, easily recognisable because they're the ''only'' uniformed police who openly carry firearms (Officers of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary[[note]]who guard Britain's Nuclear reactors - Britain' [[UsefulNotes/UltimateDefenceOfTheRealm nuclear weapons]] are guarded by the military, rather than civilian, police[[/note]] or Protection Command[[note]]whose remit is the protection of senior politicians, members of the Royal Family, and Diplomats[[/note]] may also carry weapons, but you're pretty unlikely to see one in your day-to-day life). The Metropolitan Police's Specialist Crime and Operations Specialist Firearms Command, [=SCO19=] (Previously known as S019 or C019) is probably the most famous, thanks to BritainIsOnlyLondon. Of about 130,000 police officers in the United Kingdom, only about 6,600 are Authorised Firearms Officers, and Specialist Firearms Officers who train on SWAT-type tactics are even rarer - London only has about 70.
** As described above, Australian coppers also have emergency police units from the Federal Police's Specialist Response Group to the Critical Incident Response Team, sort of the halfway point between beat police and proper SWAT. The most famous would arguably be the Sons of God, Victoria's Special Operations Group that is more or less a police {{expy}} of the SAS or the FBI HRT.

In recent years, the deployment of SWAT teams in real life has been increasingly called into question. Originally intended to respond to situations that, typically, would be unlikely to be encountered even once in any given officer's entire career, the vast majority of SWAT deployments are now to execute arrest and search warrants, often against non-violent offenders. Radley Balko's non-fiction book ''Rise Of The Warrior Cop'' covers a lot of the history of SWAT--noting that in the LAPD standoff with the Symbionese Liberation Army, the SWAT team asked for a grenade launcher and were told in no uncertain terms that they did not have permission to obtain or use one. Fastforward to the present day, and ''hundreds'' of surplus grenade launchers, fifty-calibre machine guns, and armoured vehicles have been [[http://www.vice.com/read/the-pentagon-is-giving-grenade-launchers-to-campus-police-904 given to police forces across America]] - despite the fact that [[http://www.ted.com/talks/steven_pinker_on_the_myth_of_violence violent crime has been declining for decades]]. Indeed, in the late 2010's "[=SWATting=]" attacks (where a hoax call is used to try and bait a SWAT team into raiding someone's house -- leading to [[https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/15/tyler-barriss-swatting-death-regret a fatality shortly after the Christmas in 2017]]) have become a serious issue, especially amongst [[Website/YouTube Youtubers]], livestreamers, and other online celebrities.

On the other hand, proponents argue that the heavy equipment being distributed to SWAT is more necessary now more than ever. A major catalyst for this argument was the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Mumbai_attacks 2008 Mumbai attacks]], where Indian police were completely outmatched against the attackers and led to a SWAT team being formed after the fact, as well as the raid on al-Qaeda terrorists after the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Madrid_train_bombings 2004 Madrid train bombings]], in which the terrorists blew themselves up in midst of the assault and several GEO officers saved their lives only thanks to their protective gear. With the establishment of ISIS as well as al-Qaeda shifting to a more decentralized operating structure, terrorist attacks involving multiple attackers armed with heavy weapons and armor have become increasingly commonplace, such as the attacks in Paris in [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_2015_%C3%8Ele-de-France_attacks January]] and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_2015_Paris_attacks November 2015]] followed by the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_San_Bernardino_attack December 2015]] San Bernardino attack. During the Bataclan siege in Paris, RAID officers credited their military-grade equipment with saving their lives.

* Canadian SWAT-based units usually operate under (the names of) Emergency Response Team, Tactical Response (or Rescue) Unit and Tactical Unit. Regina is known to have a tactical unit that uses the SWAT name for the Regina Police Service. For French-speaking towns/cities, they have units that operate under Groupe d’intervention (Intervention Group) or Groupe Tactique d’intervention (Tactical Intervention Group), based on European naming practice.

* SWAT teams have been a recent introduction into UsefulNotes/{{India}} following the November 26 2008 terror attacks in UsefulNotes/{{Mumbai}}. Mumbai got first dibs, as their cops were no stranger to gunning down criminals in “encounters”. They called it Force One. The Central (armed) Reserve Police Force was next, with the establishment of the [=COBRAs=] - Commando Battalions for Resolute Action, although this unit is more geared towards jungle warfare against guerrilla insurgents.

SWAT teams in fiction are often inaccurately portrayed as opening fire immediately on suspects, or otherwise being TriggerHappy, or even deliberately killing suspects who present no immediate threat. In reality, as the page quote shows, SWAT serves as a life-saving police unit with ThouShallNotKill rules. The ideal objective when a SWAT team is sent in is that ''everyone''--hostage, bystander, operator, and suspect--comes out alive. SWAT officers have very specific procedures they usually have to follow; for example, a SWAT officer is supposed to clearly identify himself to a suspect, and can only open fire if the suspect raises a weapon or otherwise presents a threat to the life or safety of another. Of course, police procedures in a fictional setting may also deliberately diverge from real life, and even in reality, not all jurisdictions have the same standards.

SWAT teams in fiction are often inaccurately portrayed as opening fire immediately on suspects, or otherwise being TriggerHappy, or even deliberately killing suspects who present no immediate threat. In reality, as the page quote shows, SWAT serves as a life-saving police unit. The ideal objective when a SWAT team is sent in is that ''everyone''--hostage, bystander, operator, and suspect--comes out alive. SWAT officers have very specific procedures they usually have to follow; for example, a SWAT officer is supposed to clearly identify himself to a suspect, and can only open fire if the suspect raises a weapon or otherwise presents a threat to the life or safety of another. Of course, police procedures in a fictional setting may also deliberately diverge from real life, and even in reality, not all jurisdictions have the same standards.

The role of the SWAT team in fiction varies depending on the work in question. If they're on the heroes' side, they can be either [[BadassArmy elite, well-equipped problem solvers]], [[TheCavalry the rescue party]] who [[BigDamnHeroes bursts in to save the day]], or [[RedshirtArmy inept or ill-fated mooks]] who [[TheWorfEffect die to show how dangerous the villains are]]. In other works, a SWAT team can serve as a HeroAntagonist if they oppose a protagonist who is falsely accused or otherwise principled but on the wrong side of the law. If the protagonists are criminals, a SWAT team is often the [[FacelessGoons faceless masses]] that exist to get gunned down, or [[EliteMooks a major threat to the protagonists.]] In very cynical works involving a CrapsackWorld or dystopia, the SWAT team can be StateSec made up of {{Dirty Cop}}s. Effectiveness and role generally depends on the SlidingScaleOfLawEnforcement.

* The ''VideoGame/SWAT'' installments of the ''VideoGame/PoliceQuest'' games obviously involve this, eventually progressing from a point-and-click adventure game to a top-down tactical simulator to tactical squad-based [[VideoGame/SWAT3 first-person]] [[VideoGame/SWAT4 shooters]]. The ''SWAT'' games heavily emphasize the use of proper police procedure: cuff every enemy, collect evidence, report all injured or dead people, always announce your presence and demand surrender before firing, and ''especially'' emphasis on trying to take down suspects alive. The latest game in the series is ''SWAT 4'', made by Creator/IrrationalGames (the team behind ''VideoGame/BioShock'' and ''VideoGame/SystemShock 2'').

* ''Series/LawAndOrder'' features the NYPD Emergency Service Unit. They wear [[BulletproofVest heavy vests]] and riot helmets and tend to carry [[CoolGuns Ithaca 37s and M16s]]. The Season 4 episode "Kids" even shows a [[ActionGirl female ESU officer]] being first through the door in a raid.