SWAT team sidelined

EVERETT — Retirements and injuries have sidelined Everett’s SWAT team at least until fall.

Several SWAT officers have left the team for one reason or another, Everett police Sgt. Robert Goetz said Monday.

There aren’t enough SWAT-trained officers left over to fully staff the team, he said. The next SWAT basic training class isn’t available until September.

Everett police chose to “stand the team down” rather than disband it, at least until they can get new people trained, he said.

The decision wasn’t budget-related, Goetz said.

If Everett needs to deploy police officers trained in special weapons and tactics, they can call upon other teams in the county, such as the Snohomish County sheriff’s SWAT team.

The South Snohomish County SWAT Team doesn’t expect to be affected by Everett’s decision, spokeswoman Shannon Sessions said. That team is “status quo,” she said.

It’s unclear if sending officers to the September training session would necessarily reinstate Everett’s SWAT team.

The team’s commanding officer would need to prepare a staffing plan, Goetz said. The process usually includes taking applications, selecting officers and training them.

“Those things don’t happen overnight,” Goetz said.

Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com