S.W.A.T Team Shake-Up

What does LPD and or JCPD have to do with it? For over two years now we have been an 'Army of One'. Get over the seperationist hurdle and move on. If the J or the L prompted the departures then there were bigger problems in the hopper. Was this yet the last of common units that had not been negatively affected this fantastic merger?

Air your SWATT laundry here!!

At this point and time no one should be saying that is was city or county. It should be based on job performance. I'll never say the team was too big, but it was the two teams from the city and county put together. It was double everything. Come on, four Lts are too much. The county Lt had been number one since merger and if they let him pick his number 2, then so be it. Doesn't every other unit around the dept. have the biggest vote on who goes there. A decision had to be made, and it was.

just goes to show you what most people know already but afraid to say! good ol boy systems still exisit on the Swat team! There has been several officers which kicked butt on the try outs but didn't hang out or work for the right people so they in turn did not make the team, bet you are regreting it now cause those folks could probaly ran circles around alot of the current (oh i mean ex )swat team members, and would still be there! Policing has changed over the years and good ol boy and politics have faded out alot but this recent event shows why it does not work and only leds to it's own end!!

I think this goes to show you that there are two seperate departments in many aspects. Let's face it, it is hard to give up on traditions and loyalties that you have gained over a long period just because someone says "Do it!" Some things need more time to change. In other cities that have merged their police agencies they have expressed to us that it took about 10 years to fully merge. What makes this Chief and Mayor think we can do it in 2 years? Arrogance! It once again goes back to the I don't give a damn about what the Officers think, it isthe "It's myy ball and I make the rules," attitude that is so typical of this administration. Well Chief, some people don't want to play ball with you.

For those readers that don't know, Louisville Metro does not have a full time SWAT Team. The members of the teams all work in seperate capacities and respond "as needed" to incidents.

So I have to ask my self, "What was wrong with having Lt. Kristofek and Lt. Shellenberger as Team Leaders? They have both been SWAT Team Members since they were patrolmen. They have been to numerous schools and have a vast wealth of experiences between them. So in the interest of saving a few shekels we are throwing away two team commanders that had motivated people working for them?

I look at the resignations as a protest to yet another failed Robert White policy. In fact I think you will see many more "Specialty Unit" resignations this year. Officers on SWAT,SRT, HNT, BOMB SQUAD, SCUBA, etc.... do not get paid one penny extra for their time and commitment in these dangerous units. They rely on their commrads and commanders to make sure they go home at night. I have been on SRT (Special Response Team) for a long time now and stay there only because my Lieutenant has my complete loyalty. He is the kind of guy that . It is a shame we can't rely on the front office to make a decision worht fighting for.

all you had to say was Tony Cobaugh was SWAT 1...the rest would have been understood.

Merged teams? This department/government merger is over 2 years old, yet the FOP has decided to continue to refer to the SWAT Team as a joint team, instead of the one LMPD SWAT Team. I was not aware that the SWAT team or any other team had "joint commanders" or that there was a sharing of "joint command". Just because there was the "shared rank" of lieutenant, did not mean there was a "shared joint command." Perhaps this misconception, the misconception that the chain of command went horizonially rather than vertically, created both internal and external problems. Perhaps it was an issue of the right hand not knowing what the left hand was doing. I don't know. I don't pretend to know all the facts or information regarding the situation. I have my opinions. Keep in mind that someones opinion, based on their personal bias, is ALL you get in this forum.

The two dept mentality will not change until every officer that went through merger has retired or left. Nobody wanted this mess but guys it's here and we have to live with it. Just remember that the media love's the crack in this dept so they can use it to make this Mayor and his stooge look like their having nothing but problems from the rank and file. If you have a grip put it in the forum ,NOT ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THIS SITE SO EVERYONE IN THIS CITY THINKS ALL WE DO IS COMPLAIN. Webmaster we need to go back to the old system. And yes Tony the old county officers have NO RESPECT for you at all, and that fact not fiction.

SHAME ON THE FOP~ or is it just shame on the FOP WEBMASTER?

Did Dotson write this up in such an un-professional way or did the web master himself decide to divide and conquer? 

How will we ever get past "Former City/Former County"  If the Fop can't or won't?

  When have you reported when it was the City who filled numerous positions?  I can't name the times I came to work & noticed someone from The Former County  just gone, and replaced with a City person. But who cares, this is Merger.... Right? That was a joke..ha ha 

 I do not have a problem working with both, if you try and be positive you meet many new people. Help & guide each other and try to come to a compromise on how some things were done differently within each department. Of course, I'm not so naive that I think everything will be rosy and we will all just get along, but then did every person on the county get along with one another or the did every City Officers get along with each other ? The answer is HELL NO!

As long as we are human people will have differences, but we do not need the Fop to divide us anymore. Do not get me wrong, I am not saying that they should not have quit. There is probably more to the story, like who is going to be the commanding officers. Not Just if it will be City or County. Or maybe just the loyalty they felt towards these Lieutenants.  This story is something we probably want/need  to read but could have been written very differently.

I'd like to hear from Dotson if he approves this article.

I didn't hear a lot of complaining when a former LPD sergeant was selected as the Avation Unit commander which was a former JCPD unit. There is going to be changes as this department settles down from merger. There was no perfect way to merge the teams at the beginning. The major has a right to select who he feels is the best fit at the time.

Doesn't anything good ever happen with the Louisville Metro Police? All I ever read about are the terrible things going on with the administration...and now it sounds like the officers themselves are at war with each other. How about we hear some good things, like so-and-so saved a life today, or so-and-so captured some really bad dudes, or so-and-so did something so great everybody should know about it. It's called the "Fraternal" Order of Police for brotherhood, not a ********** fest!!! Let's hear some good things about the LMPD for once.

Are we all even clear on where the cuts came from? I heard it was as a result of a certain Major's action. If that's the case I'd like to hear from him and his justification. In several years of policing in this city I have NEVER heard one bad thing about either Lt. Shellenberger or Uncle Lt. Kristofeck. From what I continue to hear to this day is, that if your in need of assistance in a situation and either of these 2 Lt's are around, they'll help. I haven't ever heard that about Cobault or Wilkinson. It's more like, man don't get on their bad side. Good way to be thought of huh??

I am proud to be a SWAT member and a police officer I have worn the uniform of several different departments and I must say SWAT is the pentacle of my career. Not for the Guns , Gear or greatness associated with it because the truth is SWAT is a lot of stand down which by the way is what I pray for every mission to come out to no loss or injury to any of us yes that includes the bad guys to. Now if someone makes the wrong move and we must do it that is what I am trained to deal with also. I have read a lot of negative about current commanders and I feel all of the bosses former city and county are ok with me because the truth of the matter is that they have NEVER done anything that WE as a team did not all agree on or that was not safe. I feel if they said someone needs us will you do itâ?¦ NO QUESTION â?¦ DUTYâ?¦.MISSIONâ?¦I hate to see some good operators leave and feel the pain of loosing friends of the team but in the middle of all this talkâ?¦my Mom, My Sister OUR Family Good People WILL NEED SWAT and all this stuff will be in the past because when that time comes it is the individual effort placed in the team setting that results in great things Again DUTY..

KSP SRT is a great example of this fact with only 12 guys (And many commander changes) they still maintain an operational tempo that could rival LAPD or even some SF units. What I can say about SWAT is all about the above of DUTY, MISSION, and most importantly HONOR... I realize as a SWAT officer there is even a greater chance of seeing my brothers get killed in the line of duty or even my self Killed â?¦But I want my team members past and current and the public to know when you need SWAT WE WILL answerer the call and do the JOB! And for all the Guys with the negative waves well I know it could not be SWAT guys that I have worked with and am willing to Get Killed for because our creed is to keep what is held confidential in the performance of our duty just that.. And if there are guys leaving the team it has to be for there own individual reasons I

Pray you find peace with your decision; PS if you decide to leave know We WILL split up your good GEAR! � Stay Safe

YOU KNOW, I TRY AND STAY ON TOP OF THESE COMMENTS, BUT IT NEVER FAILS TO AMAZE ME HOW SOME PEOPLE LIKE TO AIR THEIR DIRTY LAUNDRY IN PUBLIC.

I HAVE SAID IT BEFORE AND I WILL CONTINUE TO SAY IT, ANY POSTS I FIND OFFENSIVE OR PERSONALLY DEMEANING TO OUR MEMBERS WILL BE TAKEN DOWN.

THIS WAS A SIMPLE NEWS STORY THAT SPUN WAY OUT OF CONTROL.

IF YOU FEEL THE NEED TO VENT OR EXPRESS YOUR OPINION THEN E-MAIL ME AND GET A PASSWORD TO THE FORUMS SECTION SO THAT THE PUBLIC DOESN'T HAVE TO SEE THAT SOME OF YOU ARE VERY IMATURE.

I AM AT THE POINT THAT IF IT KEEPS UP I WILL START BLOCKING YOUR PERSONAL IP ADDRESSES THAT CONTINUE TO BAD MOUTH EACH OTHER.

WE WELCOME COMMENTS AND INSIGHTFUL RHETORIC, BUT SOME OF THE SMALL MINDED COMMENTS GET ON MY NERVES.

IF YOU DON'T LIKE SOMETHING, DO SOMETHING TO CHANGE IT!

IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE FOP PRESIDENT CALL HIM AND TALK TO HIM.

IF YOU DON'T THEN ALL YOU ARE IS A COMPLAINER AND I HAVE NO USE FOR COMPLAINERS.

Paul Schweizer