The Franklin County Special Operations Unit (SOU) has the responsibility of answering sensitive, potentially life-threatening situations utilizing specialized equipment and tactics to resolve them in a peaceful manner if possible. This responsibility requires a great deal of training and readiness. Some situations may include; high-risk warrant service, hostage rescue, building searches for dangerous suspects, and the tracking of and search for, escaped prisoners or violent criminals.
The Franklin County SOU has a variety of extensive training in many different areas of tactical response. All of the members attend various schools and training events throughout the year. The SOU has the ability to conduct operations in both rural and urban areas. This team is also responsible for providing law enforcement support to all components of the Sheriff's Department upon request. This includes; saturation patrols in high activity areas, DUI enforcement, surveillance operations, marijuana eradication activities, warrant service, civil process service, conducting training for law enforcement personnel and providing additional uniformed patrols as requested. The SOU is a primary responder for natural disasters, civil and jail disturbances, incidents involving mass casualties and emergency situations. The majority of the tactical responses involve armed suspects, drug Offenders, mentally impaired individuals and/or domestic violence situations.
One of the most common tactical situations involves an armed individual barricaded in a building making threats to kill himself and/or any responding officers. Frequently, the armed individual is attempting to force the officers to kill him; effectively committing suicide. The SOU Team has been very successful in utilizing negotiation techniques and specialized equipment to resolve these incidents peacefully. On occasion, suspects of violent crimes have also barricaded themselves in a building in an attempt to evade capture. The team is prepared to deal with these incidents effectively and with great emphasis on safety. The Sheriff's Department recognizes that the citizens of Franklin County expect that high priority be given to situations which create a high risk to them. In addition, tactical capability is an important part of any professional law enforcement agency. The primary goal of the SOU is to reduce or eliminate risk to the public by being prepared to respond to a wide variety of tactical situations. Tactical capability reduces liability and minimizes negative citizen perception when force must be used to protect life.
The SOU is minimally staffed with 10-12 officers. The Unit has a variety of specialized equipment which, when used properly, has been proven to enhance the safety of high risk situations. SOU members are equipped with readily deployable equipment that includes; patrol vehicles with specialized communications equipment, special protective clothing, highly protective body armor, distraction devices, gas masks, tear gas, less-lethal ammunition, night vision devices, sniper rifles, door openers, high angle rescue equipment and bullet resistant shields. Other equipment such as hostage communications equipment, cameras, extra body armor, equipment for trapped persons evacuation, an extensive medical trauma first aid kit, night surveillance devices and other specialized equipment are transported to the scene in a specially equipped van. |
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