Originating in the Los Angeles Police Department, SWAT units were modeled after elite military units used in Vietnam. By 1982, roughly 60% of U.S. police departments had SWAT teams.

Originating in the Los Angeles Police Department, SWAT units were modeled after elite military units used in Vietnam. By 1982, roughly 60% of U.S. police departments had SWAT teams.

Police in riot gear in downtown Los Angeles during anti-ICE protests. Toby Canham for NY Post A protester getting arrested by the California Highway Patrol in downtown LA on June 10, 2025. AP ...

A masked group handed out riot gear at a protest in Los Angeles, raising questions about who’s escalating tensions—and why arrests have largely focused on migrants rather than those seen ...

Originating in the Los Angeles Police Department, SWAT units were modeled after elite military units used in Vietnam. By 1982, roughly 60% of U.S. police departments had SWAT teams.