SWAT TEAM: The Hialeah Police Department SWAT team was established in 1983. The team responds to a variety of high-risk calls for service such as snipers, hostage incidents, barricaded subjects and high-risk warrants. The Team is divided into two main components, the Crisis Negotiation Team and the Tactical Team (SWAT). The Crisis Negotiation Team members receive specialized training in the field of crisis negotiation. It is their goal to establish a rapport with a subject and work out a peaceful resolution to a situation. The members of the Tactical Team (SWAT) will be the tool of last resort for situations that cannot be peacefully resolved. Their goal is to effectuate the apprehension of a subject with minimal risk to all persons involved including the subject.

Members of the Crisis Negotiations Team are chosen based on their maturity, experience and proven ability to deal with conflict under stressful circumstances. They attend specialized training and continue to train on a regular basis to maintain proficiency. The members of the Tactical Team (SWAT) must pass a stringent physical agility test designed to test their ability to endure the strenuous physical requirements of the job. Once they pass the test, they are further screened based on their overall work record with special emphasis on maturity, judgment and the ability to make sound decisions under stress. Those chosen for the team attend SWAT school and continue to train on a regular basis. Marksmanship and physical agility are tested periodically to ensure that maximum proficiency is maintained.