The Guttenberg Police Department has launched a new Special Response Team (SRT) designed to serve as a tactical response unit under potentially risky circumstances like arrest and search warrants or hostage negotiations.

Seven members of the GPD were selected to join the unit and receive training, based on numerous factors including physical ability and marksmanship. In Autumn of last year their training began under GPD Detective and Hudson County SWAT Team member Sgt. Steve Diaz, with the SWAT Team providing their expertise as instructors.

The goal was to create a response unit for situations that do not immediately call for a SWAT Team, but may be more dangerous than normal patrol work. To that end, the SRT members participated in mock scenarios at various locations in town.

Recently they underwent an exercise involving a possible hostage situation in a residential house. In the scenario an agitated and abusive individual was somewhere inside the residence holding a live weapon.

The SRT entered the house and successfully negotiated with the individual to prevent him from harming himself or others, then methodically swept the area to confirm it was safe and secure. Afterwards, Sgt. Diaz and Hudson County SWAT Alpha Squad Leader Edward Cook debriefed the team to analyze the operation in detail.

Further training will take place at other locations over the coming months, including banks, town hall, the post office, and local businesses, to ensure that the team is highly prepared to handle incidents in any setting.

Once the SRT is fully trained and operational, the plan is to extend the instruction to all officers in the department.  

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