![Three of six candidates for the Crestview Police Department's S.W.A.T. team perform as many push-ups as they can in two minutes, encouraged by the other three candidates. At the end of the first round, the officers switched places. [Brian Hughes | Crestview Police Department]](http://127.0.0.1/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ghows-DA-49877b25-31c6-75ed-e053-0100007f30e0-641d1b46.jpeg)
CRESTVIEW — Police officers need thick skin, especially these days.
The occasional insult, snarky Facebook post and belligerent drunk are just part of the job. Therefore, the casual observer might be a bit disconcerted to hear an officer being on the receiving end of verbal abuse from guys he’d normally call his buddies.
However, for six Crestview Police Department officers, the cascade of insults — and occasional colorful metaphors — were part of their efforts to earn a spot on the agency’s Special Weapons and Tactics team.
“It’s designed to throw them off balance,” Sgt. Lucas Kraus, a team leader, said. “We want to see how they perform under stress.”
Officers have to want the honor. A place on the S.W.A.T. team comes with increased expectations. They include a higher expectation of professionalism, additional monthly drills and training, and sometimes intensive responses for events such as hostage situations, armed suspects and similar public dangers.
While a position on the team earns officers the right to wear the gold eagle insignia on their lapels — after a one-year probation period — there’s one thing it doesn’t come with: extra pay.
The latest S.W.A.T. recruitment process began Feb. 23 with a written exam, including an essay in which hopefuls described their aspirations and reasons for wanting to advance to the squad. Physical testing, including push-ups, sit-ups and a mile run, followed.
Next was the punishing endurance test. Dressed in camouflage battle-dress uniform, a heavy bulletproof utility vest, a loaded equipment belt including a sidearm, and carrying a gas mask, candidates began the test by dashing from a patrol car — which each officer pushed, not drove, onto the course.
A series of challenges followed, during which current S.W.A.T. team members ran alongside, hurling derisive and occasionally humorous insults at the candidates.
A smoking flare requiring candidates to don the gas mask, and noisemakers tossed harmlessly to the side added to the confusion.
They are all designed to test the candidate's focus as they go through the challenge, toting the 40-pound battering ram used to bash open a metal door to access the obstacle course.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview police vie for SWAT team