For the first time ever, the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team of the Delhi Police will have women on board. Delhi Police will induct 40 women into its SWAT team which is dedicated to tackling hardened criminals and to combat terrorist activities. Currently, there are 200 men in the team. SWAT personnel are equipped with latest weapons and security gears. The team was formed back in 2009 in the wake of the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai in 2008.
A senior police officer said that with the induction of 40 women, the team size will move to 240. The recruitment for the same will start along with the recruitment of the new batch of personnel and will be trained along with their male counterparts. While some SWAT commandos are on duty at any given point of the day, those who are not, get 15-day training by rotation so they can keep their skills sharp.
SWAT personnel are equipped with AK-47 rifles, MP5 machine guns, Glock 17 or 26 pistols and corner shot devices for enhanced night vision. The commandos are also trained in Krav Maga which is a self-defence system developed for the Israel Defence Forces.
The SWATs are also equipped with a pencil torch, bulletproof helmet, bulletproof jacket, a cutter and a commando dagger. They also wear special knee and elbow pads for protection during covert operations.
Apart from recruitment training, a commando also is trained for 10-months similar to NSG. The training is provided to the personnel in Jharoda Kalan. It is in these 10-months that the commandos learn how to undertake complex operations during terrorist attacks at crowded markets, residential complexes or government premises.
Currently, the Delhi Police is in the process of recruiting 7307 personnel from all-over India. Out of the 7,307 vacancies, 2,424 are reserved for women. The SWAT team includes personnel from the rank of constable to the inspector. They are headed by an ACP-level officer.