Lt. Nick Hill, a 23-year veteran of the Taylor Police Department, was recently named the commander of the Downriver SWAT Team.

What lured Lt. Hill to SWAT duty?

“As a police officer SWAT is something I have always wanted to do,” he said. “I've always been drawn to high-level team work, precision and the opportunity to respond to critical situations where training and skills make a real difference.

“Being appointed as the SWAT Commander is one of my greatest accomplishments. Over the past 19 years on the team I have been able to prove myself as a trusted leader to some of the best officers Downriver, that means a lot to me.”

Lt. Hill is currently a Firearms Instructor, Taser Instructor, Active Shooter Instructor, President of the Command Union and Chairman of the Police and Fire Pension Board.

The SWAT commander handles many key roles:
- The position holds operational command/incident command authority for all SWAT activities, including deployment decisions, tactical planning, directing high-risk incident to include: barricades, hostage rescue, high-risk search warrants, active shooters and any other event that is beyond the control of a patrol officer.
- Community relations: As the SWAT commander Lt. Hill will make sure the group is available for many community events Downriver, including touch a truck events, parades, trunk or treat and anything else where the public can see SWAT and realize that it is all part of the community.
- The SWAT commander is committed to protecting public safety while minimizing harm and maintaining accountability. Every decision is made with the priority of preserving life, ensuring lawful conduct, and achieving successful outcomes for victims, officers, and the community.

“Our officers have traditionally participated heavily in Downriver SWAT,” Police Chief John Blair said. “Lt. Hill has been a member of SWAT for 19 years and he’ll do a great job. He has handled a lot of different positions in our department for nearly two decades, which makes him well suited for SWAT leadership.”

The special weapons and tactics team services 18 Downriver communities, and currently has 33 operators, 10 of them from Taylor.

“With Taylor being the largest Downriver community we have always represented a large portion of the SWAT Team,” Lt. Hill said. “We have tremendous support from the chief of police along with Mayor Tim Woolley and always have.”

Taylor is the headquarters for Downriver SWAT. The armored vehicle, transport vehicle, SWAT armory, negotiation vehicle and all other pertinent equipment is housed at the TPD. The SWAT Team trains twice a month and are always on call. So far this year it has responded to 51 call outs.

The term “SWAT” was first introduced in the 1960s, primarily by the Los Angeles Police Department. The concept emerged in response to increasing urban violence and the need for a dedicated tactical unit capable of addressing extraordinary threats that regular police forces were not equipped to handle. The first SWAT team was established in 1967 and was designed to respond to situations such as hostage rescues, armed standoffs and other high-risk incidents.

SWAT training includes advanced tactics, negotiations skills and the use of specialized equipment, allowing them to effectively resolve dangerous scenarios while minimizing harm to civilians and officers.

The specific differences between SWAT and regular police forces include:
- Specialization: SWAT teams are specialized units within police departments training to handle high-risk situations while regular police handle everyday law enforcement duties.
- Training: SWAT members undergo extensive training in tactics, firearms, crisis negotiation – more specialized than regular police officers.
- Deployment: SWAT is deployed in critical situations that require specialized skills, while police respond to routine calls and maintain public order.
- Operational Differences: SWAT operations are often conducted in a more tactical manner involving planning and coordination. Regular police operations are more community-oriented.