Topic: Security Central / Your department's take on long guns for jail SERT/CERT

My administration is finally listening to it’s senior operators concerning the use of long guns(other than shotguns). My team handles High Risk Transports to courts, medical runs, ect. Recently we were asked to transport a high ranking STG member to another jurisdictions jail, via dept vehicles. My Dept. has its own stand alone SWAT team and our team(SERT) in the Jail. We have worked with SWAT in the past, however, if we can keep it strictly jail operators to conduct jail operations, I think it benefits my dept in the long run. Thus, my question, what are some of your dept.s policies on the use of long guns for large County Jail High Risk Transports operations. I need arguments for issues other than being out gunned.

Thank you Sgt. Rocco J. Lepore SERT TeamLeader Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Clark County Detention Center

Topic: The Club House / Losing control

I am a SERT Sgt. for a large county Detention Center. I have noticed a direct correlation between a hands off liberal philosophy and the total lack of respect the inmates are now showing staff. I just walked away from an inmate who from behind a closed cell door yelled, “suc* my d*” because I said, “no”. I went back to the cell and had the inmate stand up. I had back up officers present and wanted him to step out so we could cuff him up and place him into an iso cell. This inmate refused to come out and it took a show of my Taser and stern verbal commands to get him on the ground to be restrained. The inmate stated after we moved him, “I wasn’t talking to you sarge”. Not to long ago, inmates respected the “Green Uniform” (SERT), now, if we happen to say no its total disrespect. I blame this on our litigious society, empowering inmates instead of holding them accountable through the only means they understand.

Topic: Security Central / Which cell extraction methods work best?

My SERT uses a base three man stack with a restraint control officer outside the cell. My department has minimum distances for our less than lethal munitions, so my shotgunner or 40mm officers take up positions out side of those minimum distances. I’m not a proponent of utilizing a shied during entries. The shields get in the way and with limited space inside the cell it becomes cumbersome. After softening up the inmate who 90% of the time complies afterwards, my stack will enter after the door is opened and spread from a stack to a three man skirmish line, slowly stalking the inmate. Each officer has a specific area of the inmates body to control. Once the inmate is controled by the entry team, they call for restraint control officer to handcuff and leg shackle. We train this quite a bit in our isolation unit in empty cells so the officers can feel the environment. My munitions officers shoot through the food port on the door to prepare themselves for the real thing. Realistic training prepares my team for the real thing and they have responded very well with real life cell extractions.

Topic: Security Central / Placing inmates in a kneeling position

What are your thoughts about putting inmates who are either disruptive or non-compliant into a kneeling position while waiting for transport out of a housing unit. Kneeling is part of my Departments Defensive Tactics program and I have incorporated it into my safety protocol. However, my Captains are giving me a tremendous amount of grief over my tactic. They are telling me absolutely not.