Crime & Safety

Norristown SWAT Team Has 1st Place in SWAT Competition Hostage Event

The SWAT team participated in a county-wide SWAT Challenge for the first time.

Norristown Police Chief  Willie Richet announced at the Norristown municipal council meeting on Tuesday night that the department’s SWAT team participated for the first time in the annual Montgomery County SWAT Challenge, where SWAT teams from Montgomery county competed with each other to test their skills; the Norristown team went on to win an event.

According to Lt. Richard Clowser, Patrol Commander and SWAT Commander, the Norristown team took first place in a hostage rescue event, and participated in other events, such as a sniper event at 100 meters and 75 meters, an obstacle course and another event where they utilized other guns.

The seventh annual event took place on Nov. 9., where seven teams participated at the Montgomery County Public Safety Training Campus in Conshohocken. The Norristown team enjoyed the event and are looking forward to being an even stronger showing next year, wrote Lt. Richard Clowser, Patrol Commander and SWAT Commander, in an email to Patch.

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Richet addressed the audience, saying that he wanted the to know how professional his officers were. “I am so proud of these guys for accomplishing this major, major stepping stone,” he said.

At the meeting, the SWAT team members held situational targets that were similar to what they used at the competition, as examples for the audience. The targets ranged from a likeness of a man pointing a gun, to a likeness of a man pointing a beer bottle.

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“The Norristown SWAT team is comprised of highly skilled and dedicated officers that are specially equipped and trained to resolve difficult police situations outside the realm of the ordinary patrol response,” wrote Clowser in an email to Patch.

Municipal council president Gary Simpson congratulated the officers. “Members of the SWAT team, we thank you for your hard work and your efforts,” he said.


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