Bowhntr6pt
Master
The amount of personnel depends on multiple factors... results of the threat assessment, number of targets believed to be at the location, number of overall occupants believed to be at the location, potential for crowds to gather and run interference, number of associated outbuildings and/or vehicles, size or complexity of the structure, fortifications of the structure, are just some of the considered factors when allocating personnel.
Most agencies supplement these operations with traffic units to block the area off as the operation kicks off, road patrol units on a 360-degree outer perimeter, other assets such as Detectives or K9 occupying a tighter inner perimeter, members with advanced medical training on the heals of the team (we use dedicated SWAT medics), chase vehicles pre-positioned for a go-mobile response, DRONE units on the outer perimeter, etc... it can be as simple as a five-man operation or as complex as a fifty-plus man operation. .
ETA- right or wrong, including people in an operation whether or not they are "really" needed is a way of people getting experience in the totality of what's involved in a warrant service. It's one of those things that the more you do it the better you become.
When we had a dry spell, and time allowed, we would run mock operations just to knock the dust off and id shortfalls. There have been times where we practiced moments right up to the actual operation.
What a lot of critics have to say about the visuals of operations is mainly just white noise. I agree sometimes an operation could be accomplished just as safe and effective with a smaller element vs. a large one, but I have also been a part of operations that took an unexpected turn reference violence and many more people present than the intel suggested even though we had eyes on the target location hours prior.
We hit a location one time and I swear the meth heads came out of nowhere... cars, out buildings, the woods... it was literally like a scene out of the walking dead.
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