Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

SWAT By Any Other Name

In Spokane, the police department has changed the name of its SWAT team to "Emergency Response Unit," as it seeks to broaden the skills of team members. Assistant Chief Rick Dobrow, who leads the department’s operations, said the switch reflects the increased training in medical rescue and crisis management former SWAT team members will receive in the coming months. But the change was met with skepticism by Councilman Mike Fagan, who told the SR: “My initial thought, when I saw the press release go out, was, ‘Oh my word, are we getting politically correct now?’”

Question: Do you see anything wrong with the name SWAT?



D.F. Oliveria
D.F. (Dave) Oliveria joined The Spokesman-Review in 1984. He currently is a columnist and compiles the Huckleberries Online blog and writes about North Idaho in his Huckleberries column.

Follow Dave online: