The Brentwood Police Department fields a group of specially trained and equipped officers to respond to high-risk situations that require an advanced level of training and expertise in order to safely resolve those incidents using superior tactics and critical thinking. The primary mission of the Brentwood Police Department Tactical Response Team (TRT) is to save lives.

 In 2019, the department formed TRT whose primary mission is to respond to critical incidents that require special tactics or equipment in order to have a safe resolution. Members of TRT are generally assigned to patrol shifts in order to quickly respond to critical incidents without hesitation or delay. All shifts have members of TRT assigned to maximize coverage. The team is trained to respond to barricaded persons, hostage situations, active threats, high-risk warrants, fugitive apprehension, canine team support, or outside agency support. The team regularly trains and consults with nearby tactical teams to achieve seamless integration and best practices. Currently, all members of the team are CQB instructor certified, “ALERRT CRASE” instructor certified, and have received certification in Tactical Trauma/Stop the Bleed. Several members are firearms instructors, less lethal instructors, and vehicle tactics instructors.

 Members of TRT conduct an average of 16 hours per month of training and an additional 40-hour block of training per year, as recommended by the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA). Monthly training includes topics such as firearms proficiency, building searching and clearing, less lethal/chemical munition and de-escalation tactics, legal updates, physical training, canine team integration, mission planning and briefing, tactical medical training, scenario-based training, and others. Members of TRT are trained instructors in several areas and conduct training for the department in those areas.  Twice a year, members conduct qualifications in physical fitness and firearms to maintain an active status on the team.

 In addition to training and calls for service, TRT also regularly participates in community engagement events to build a strong bond with citizens.

 Tryouts for TRT are held on an “as needed” basis. Eligibility for the team includes no disciplinary action, one year of experience with the department, and passage of the department PT test at the highest level. Tryouts for the team include the NTOA’s Physical Fitness Qualification (PFQ), a firearms qualification course, and stress-induced scenario evaluations. Once approved and selected for the team, all members go through a basic tactical operations course (minimum 40 hours) and receive department issued tactical gear and weapons.