The New Hope Police Department is part of the West Metro SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) Team, consisting of officers from New Hope, Crystal and Robbinsdale. Under a central command system, 15 operators, four crisis negotiators and one medic are trained to respond to higher-risk incidents within the cities. These higher-risk incidents may include high-risk warrant service, barricaded subjects, public unrest or any other incident deemed too risky for patrol officers to handle.
Team members are on-call 24/7. Officers are selected for the team based on exceptional work performance and competency. They also pass a rigorous fitness test.
Members of the West Metro SWAT Team train together at least one full day per month and at least one multi-day training session at Camp Ripley a year to maintain a high level of proficiency. In 2017, the team logged more than 150 hours of specialized training.
In 2019, the New Hope Police Department acquired a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicle for use by the West Metro SWAT Team. For more information, see the link below.