On Aug. 15, the North Metro SWAT team held training in Ashford Park, a residential neighborhood of Brookhaven.
About 30 police officers from the cities of Brookhaven, Sandy Springs, and Dunwoody participated. Training was held at a ranch-style house scheduled for demolition.
Neighbors were warned about the activity in advance by the city of Brookhaven and the Brookhaven Police Department.
“Kindly note that you might hear loud noises, but please do not be alarmed. These sounds are all part of a controlled and scheduled training. Rest assured, safety is our utmost priority, and this exercise is standard procedure,” BPD posted on social media.
North Metro SWAT, which stands for Special Weapons and Tactics, brings together police officers from departments in Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Johns Creek and Brookhaven serving nearly 300,000 residents.
SWAT teams handle hostage situations, high-risk arrests, and heavily-armed criminals, and hold handgun safety and self-defense classes.
The training at the empty house in Brookhaven is similar to what would be conducted at the Atlanta public safety training facility, known as “Cop City” by its opponents, who are collecting signatures for a referendum on the issue.
Part of the 85-acre, city-owned site in South DeKalb would include a mock village where law enforcement and fire departments could conduct drills and training.