ϳԹ

HomeInternational Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Researchvol. 7 no. 2 (2026)

Assessment of Special WeaponsandTacticsinthe Province of Cavite:Basis for A Proposed Swat Operational Guidelines

Juanito A. Vergara Jr | John Paul R. Mallillin | Caezar P. Cabuhat

Discipline: social policy

 

Abstract:

This study assessed the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) units of the Philippine National Police in the Province of Cavite to serve as a basis for proposed operational guidelines. The study examined the personnel profile, perceptions regarding the selection process, facilities and equipment, and skills and capabilities, as well as the problems encountered and the solutions applied. A descriptive– correlational research design was employed using a researcher-made questionnaire validated by field experts. Data were collected from 105 SWAT personnel and analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, Chi-square, and Spearman’s Rho. Findings revealed that while SWAT units are composed of capable and resilient personnel, several gaps remain in equipment, training, and administrative support. Most respondents possessed only a bachelor’s degree, and a large proportion had attended only one specialized training session, indicating limited opportunities for advanced tactical development. The results also showed that rank and age were the least influential criteria in selection, suggesting a shift toward merit-based recruitment focused on capability and readiness. Statistical tests indicated varying levels of relationships between profile variables, perceptions, problems, and solutions. Based on the findings, operational guidelines were proposed to address equipment procurement, training enhancement, personnel welfare, and administrative support. The study contributes to improving the readiness and effectiveness of SWAT units in the province.



References:

  1. Alkaabi,  H.,  Lohman,  E.,  Alameri,  M.,  Daher,N.,Čvorović,A.,&Jaber,H.  (2023).  Correla-tion between functionalmovementscreenscores,   lower   limb   strength,   y-balance test,  grip  strength,and  vertical  jumpand incidence of injury due to musculoskeletal injury  among  abu  dhabi  police  recruits. Physical TherapyRehabilitationScience,12(3),222-228.
  2. Anåker, A., Koch, L. v., Eriksson, G., Sjöstrand,C.,&Elf,M.(2020).The physical environment and    multi-professional    teamwork    in three  newly  built  stroke  units.  Disability andRehabilitation,44(7),1098-1106.
  3. Ares, L., Gomez, P., & Torres, M. (2023). The im-portance  of  equipment  and  training  in SWAT  operations:  A  studyofperceptionsandchallenges. Journal of Criminal Justice, 72, 102456.
  4. Ares, M., Lopez, J., & Ramirez, T. (2023). The im-portance  of  equipment  and  training  in SWAT  operations:  A  studyofperceptionsandchallenges. Journal of Criminal Justice, 58(4), 102456.
  5. Barczak-Scarboro,N.,Roby,P.,Kiefer,A., Bailar-Heath, M., Burke, R., DeLellis, S., ... & Miha-lik, J. (2021). The relationship between re-silience  and  neurophysiological  stress  in special  operations  forces  combatservice Vergara Jr. et al., 2026 /Assessment of Special WeaponsandTacticsinthe Province of CaviteIJMABER822Volume 7| Number 2| February| 2026members.European  Journal  of  Neurosci-ence, 55(9-10), 2804-2812.
  6. Bautista,R.,Villanueva,J.,&DelaCruz,S.(2023).Operationalreadinessand  tactical  effec-tiveness  of  the  SWAT unitsinemergencysituations. PoliceQuarterly,26(2),142–160.
  7. Bondarenko, V., Охріменко, І., Piaskovskyi,V.,Antoshchuk,A.,& Марчук, А. (2022). Sci-entific tools for forming professional com-petenceofpatrolpoliceofficers. Inter-national  Journal  of  Assessment  and  Re-search  in  Education  (Ijere),  11(2),  687.
  8. Burlakova,I.,Melnychuk,D.,Oksiutovych, M.,&Nikolaienko,S.(2023). Psychologicalwell-beingand strategytocounterprofes-sional burnoutamonglawenforcement officers. Public Administration and LawRe-view,(3),69-77.
  9. Butler,J.M.,Gothe,N.P.,&Petruzzello,S.  J. (2023).  An  exploratory  study  ontheim-pactofphysicaltrainingon police recruits’ self-efficacy  in  handling  violent  encoun-ters. Martial    Arts    Studies,    13,    61-70.
  10. Caesar,M.,&Santos,J.(2023).Leadership styles and decision-making processes in tactical units: An empirical analysis. Journal of Po-lice and Criminal Psychology, 38(1),45–60.
  11. Cameron, K. S., & Whetten, D. A. (1983). Organ-izational   effectiveness:   A   comparison   of multiple models. Academic Press.
  12. Chen,X.,&Yang,Y.(2023).TheInfluence  of Field  Experience  on  the  Effectiveness  of Police  Tactical  Operations:  Insights  from Recent  Research.JournalofPoliceStudies, 36(3), 215-227.
  13. Cyr,  K.,  Ricciardelli,  R.,  &  Spencer,  D.  (2020). Militarization  of  police:  A  comparison  of police  paramilitary  units  in  Canada  and the United States. International Journal of Police  Science  &  Management, 22(1),22-31.
  14. Cyr,K.,Ricciardelli,R.,&Spencer,D. (2020).Militarizationofpolice:acomparisonofpoliceparamilitary unitsinCanadAandtheUnited States.InternationalJournalof PoliceScience&Amp; Management,22(2),137-147.
  15. Daft,R.L.(2016).Organizationtheoryand  de-sign (12th ed.). Cengage Learning.
  16. Dodge,  M.,  Valcore,  L.,  &  Gomez,  F.  (2011). Women   on   swat   teams:   separate   but equal?.  Policing: An  International  Journal of  Police  Strategies  &Amp;  Management, 34(4),699-712.
  17. Douglas, H. (2019). Policing domestic and fam-ily    violence. International    Journal    for Crime Justice and SocialDemocracy,8(2),31-49.
  18. Drew,  A.,  Keller,  T.,  Spencer,  R.,  &  Herrera,  C. (2020).    Investigating    mentor    commit-ment  in  youth  mentoring  relationships: the  role  of  perceived  program  practices. Journal  of  Community  Psychology, 48(7),2264-2276.
  19. Elteren,C.  v.,  Lees,M.,  &Vasconcelos, V.V. (2024).   Criminal   organizations   exhibit hysteresis,  resilience,  and  robustness  by balancing security andefficiency.
  20. Engel,  R.,  Corsaro,  N.,  Isaza,  G.,  &  McManus,H.(2022).Assessingthe impact of de-escala-tion training on policebehavior:reducingpoliceuse of force in the Louisville, Metro Police  Department. Criminology  &  PublicPolicy,21(2),199-233.
  21. Erdogan,M.,&Alshahrani,S.(2022). En-hancinglawenforcementoperational performance   through   realistic   training scenarios:  An  empirical  study. Journal  of Criminal Justice, 50(1), 87-95. Vergara Jr. et al., 2026 /Assessment of Special WeaponsandTacticsinthe Province of CaviteIJMABER 823Volume 7| Number 2| February | 2026
  22. Ferguson,  L.  and  Gaub,  J.  (2021).  Training  po-lice search and rescue teams: implications for  missing  persons  work. Criminology  & Criminal Justice,23(3),431-449.
  23. Ferrara,  J.,  Kim,  R.,  Gruber,  J.,  Arthur,  K.,  Chen, E.,  Thuraisingham,  D.,  ...  &  Conte,A.(2020).Operationaland  clinical  imple-mentation plan for an anesthesiologist-ledcoronavirus-2019hospital“swat”team.IntJ AnesSrg,1(1).
  24. Franklin, A., Perkins, R., Kirby, M., & Richmond,K.(2019).Theinfluence  of  police  related media,  victimization,  and  satisfaction  on African  American  college  students'  per-ceptions  of  police. Frontiers  in Sociology,
  25. Frenkel et al. (2021). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on European policeofficers:Stress,demands,and   coping   resources. Journal of CriminalJustice. doi:10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2020.101756
  26. Fretes,D.R.D.,Zainuddin,A.,Darmawati,  D.,Muhammadong,M.,&  Dewi, P.M.  (2023). Challenges  in  enforcing  hate  speech  laws in  Indonesian  politics. International  Jour-nal of Humanities, Social Sciences and Busi-ness(Injoss),2(3),418-442.
  27. Hernandez, F., Martinez, R., & Lopez, V. (2022). Evaluating  the  impact  of  organizational structure on SWAT performance.Psycho-logical AssessmentStudies,14(3),215–229.
  28. Hernandez,P.,Diaz,L.,&Santos,M.(2022).Evaluatingtheimpactof  organizationalstructureonSWAT performance.Psycho-logical Assessment,34(3),223-237.
  29. Howard, S. and Vine, K. (2024). “it’s like weareseenasanimals”:therelationshipbetweenblackpeople’s encounterswiththepolice,  metadehumanization,and per-ceptionsofpolicelegitimacy. Cultural-DiversityandEthnic MinorityPsychology.
  30. Hussain,S.,Niyazi,B.,Elfeki,A.,Masoud, M., Wang, X., & Awais, M. (2024).Swat-driven  exploration  of  runoff  dynamics  in hyper-arid  region,  Saudi  Arabia:  Implica-tions for hydrological understanding. Wa-ter, 16(14),2043.
  31. Jen-kins,D.,Burton,C.,&Holmes,D.(2022).Genderinfluencesinthe  intersection  of acute  care  registerednursesandlawen-forcement.,45(2), 170-178.
  32. Keeler,   J.   M.,   Pohl,   M.   B.,   Bergstrom,   H.   C., Thomas, J. M., & Abel, M. G. (2019). The ef-fect  of  tactical  tasks  and  gear  on  muscle activation   of   swat   officers. Journal   of Strength and Conditioning Research, 36(1), 238-244.
  33. Kleygrewe, L., Oudejans, R. R. D., Koedijk, M., & Hutter,  V.  (2022).  Police  training  in  prac-tice:  organizationanddeliveryaccording to  European  law  enforcement  agencies. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.798067
  34. Koedijk,  M.,  Renden,  P.,  Oudejans,  R.,  &  Hutter, V. (2019). Training for the job: assessment of  a  self-defence  trainingprogrammeforcorrectional  officers.Ergonomics,62(12),1585-1597.
  35. Kruis,N.,Donohue,R.,Glunt,N.,Rowland,N.,&Choi,J.(2023). Examiningtheeffectsof perceptions of police effectiveness, proce-duraljustice,andlegitimacy  onracialdifferencesin   anticipated   cooperationwithlawenforcement  inPennsylvania.CriminalJustice PolicyReview,34(6),511-533.
  36. Lachica,P.,Ramos,D.,&Navarro,E.(2023).Leadershiptraitsfor tacticalopera-tions:Whatmakesa  successfulSWATteamleader?In LeadershipinLawEn-forcement (pp.  110-130).  Emerald  Pub-lishing. Vergara Jr. et al., 2026 /Assessment of Special WeaponsandTacticsinthe Province of CaviteIJMABER824Volume 7| Number 2| February| 2026
  37. Legewie, J. and Fagan, J. (2019). Aggressive po-licing and the educational performance of minority youth. American SociologicalRe-view,84(2),220-247.
  38. Leng,M.,Yu,Y.,Wang,S.-P.,&Zhang,Z.  (2020).Simulatingthehydrological processesofameso-scalewatershed  ontheLoessPlat-eau,China. Water, 12(3),878.
  39. Lenhard,A.,Daoud,M.,Donahue,L., Jones, S.,  Kip,  P.  L.,  Zapf,  R.  L.,  &  Minnier,  T.  E. (2024). How SWAT changedtheconversa-tion.Professional     Case     Management.
  40. López, D. (2014). SWAT operations and deadlyforce:Acomparisonofnational  data with   the   Dorner   case. SociologyandCriminology-Open Access. https://doi.org/10.4172/2375-4435.1000107
  41. Madaki,  A.  (2020).  Insecurity  and  community policing:   impact   on   adolescenteduca-tionalattainmentin  nigeria. British  Jour-nal of Education,8(4),57-69.
  42. Mäntysaari,L.,&Häkkinen,A.(2021).The  role ofcontinuoustraininginpolice tactical re-sponse  teams:  A  multi-country  examina-tion. Policing, 15(2), 211-220.
  43. Marins,E.F.,Barbosa,O.,Machado, E.S.,Orr,R.M.,Dawes,J.,&Vecchio,F.B.D.(2020).Pro-fileofself-reported   physical   tasks   and physical training inBrazilianspecialoper-ationsunits:  a  web-based  cross-sectional study. International  Journal  of  Environ-mentalResearchandPublic Health,17(19),7135.
  44. McLean,  K.,  Wolfe,  S.,  Rojek,  J.,  Alpert,  G.,&Smith,M.(2020).Randomized  controlled trial  of  social  interaction  police  training. Criminology&PublicPolicy,19(3),  805-832.
  45. Miles-Johnson, T. (2023). Insufficient guidance and a lack of preparation: Police academy training  and  the  reality  of  police  work. Journal  of  Criminology,56(2-3),213-233.
  46. Newiss  et  al.  (2021).  Taking  the  strain?  Police well-beingin the COVID-19 era. The police journal    theory practiceandprinciples. doi:10.1177/0032258x211044702.
  47. Nguyen, Q., Jaspaert, E., Murtinger, M., Schrom-Feiertag,H.,Egger-Lampl,S.,  &  Tscheligi, M.  (2021).  Stress  out:  translating  real-world  stressors  into  audio-visual  stress cuesfor    policetraining.,551-561.
  48. Nieves,A.,Cruz,M.,&Salazar,L.(2022).  As-sessing  team  cohesion  and  its  effects  on SWAT  operational  effectiveness. Journal of OrganizationalChange Management, 35(4), 732–748.
  49. Nota, P., Arpaia, J., Boychuk, E., Collins, P., & An-dersen, J. (2021).  Testing the efficacy of a 1-day  police  decision-making  and  auto-nomic  modulation  intervention:  a  quasi-random  pragmaticcontrolled  trial.  Fron-tiersinPsychology, 12.
  50. O’Connor, J. P., & Becker, R. A. (2023). Field Ex-perience  and  its  Impact  on  Tactical  Deci-sion-Making   in   Law   Enforcement:   Evi-dence  from  SWAT  Units. Journal  of  Tacti-cal Science, 11(2), 45-59.
  51. Oliveretal.(2025).Aretrospectiveregression analysis on the dynamic shootingscoresofSWAToperators. TranslationalJournalofthe AmericanCollegeofSportsMedicine.doi:10.1249/tjx.0000000000000285
  52. Oliver,  K.,  Jiroutek,  M.  R.,  Labhart, J.,  &  Bunn,  J. (2025).  A  retrospective  regression  analy-sis on the dynamic shooting scores of swat operators. Translational   Journal   of   the American College of Sports Medicine,10(1).
  53. Pineda, G., & Reyes, T. (2024). Investigating the role  assignment  process  in  tactical  police Vergara Jr. et al., 2026 /Assessment of Special WeaponsandTacticsinthe Province of CaviteIJMABER 825Volume 7| Number 2| February | 2026units: A study of team performance and ef-ficiency.Policing:AnInternationalJour-nal,47(1),85–101.
  54. Poyil,S.andSekar,G.(2023).Effectofyogic practice  on  stress  and  resting  heart  rate among  stressed  middle-agedmenpolicepersonnelinKerala Police Academy Thris-sur. Journal  of  Advanced  Zoology,  44(S-5), 2385-2387.
  55. Prates,M.,Avelar,P.,Lemos,H.,Lamb,L.,  & Vardi,  M.  (2019).  Learning  to  solve  np-complete  problems:  a  graph  neural  net-work  for  decision  tsp.  Proceedings  of  the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence, 33(01), 4731-4738.
  56. Quinto, R., Del Rosario, J., & Salonga, N. (2021).ChallengesinSWAT training:Identifyingkeyfactors affectingreadinessandper-formance.PolicePracticeand Research,22(3),298–315.
  57. Rafizal,J.,Nyoto,N.,Sudarno,S.,& Sultan,F.M.M.(2022).Organizational  culture, work  environment,  and  workload  on  the performance   of   POLRI   members   (case study  in  pekanbaru  police  criminal  re-serve unit). Journal of Applied Business and Technology, 3(3),263-271.
  58. Rezende,L.F.C.d.,Dellagrana,R.A.,Oliveira-Santos,L.G.R.,Cruz,A.D.F.C.,Mota,M.F.d.S.,&Coelho-Ravagnani, C.  d.  F.  (2022).  Physical  performance  of Brazilian military policemen: A longitudi-nal  analysisbyoccupationalspecialties. International Journal of EnvironmentalRe-searchandPublic Health,19(24),16948.
  59. Roberts,  S.  C.,  Zahabi,  M.,  McCarthy,  L.  A.,  & Romero,  J.  (2023).  Law  enforcement  per-spectives  on  police  vehicle  cybersecurity. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Er-gonomics Society Annual Meeting,67(1),2300-2304.
  60. Santoso,B.andRiyadi,B.(2023).Thestate ad-ministrativeoflaw: implementation of the police educationinIndonesia. Interna-tional  Journal  of  Membrane  Science  and Technology, 10(4), 702-715.
  61. Sepúlveda,I.,Nieto,Y.,&González,R. (2022).Determinantsoftheneedfor postgraduate training. Industry  and  HigherEducation,37(1),143-152.
  62. etyawan,  V.  and  Halim,  C.  (2024).  The  im-portance  of  law  enforcement  based  on progressive  law  in  realizing  community welfare. Unes  LawReview,6(3),8987-8991.
  63. Simas et al. (2022). Factors Influencing Marks-manshipinPoliceOfficers:A  narrative re-view. International JournalofEnvironmen-talResearch andPublicHealth. doi:10.3390/ijerph192114236.
  64. Sjöberg, A., Larsson, A., & Tedeholm, P. (2024). Using the five-factor model ofpersonalitytoidentifyanoptimal swat team member. International  Journal  of  Police  Science  & Management,27(1),3-15.
  65. Sjöberg,A.,Larsson,A.,&Tedeholm,P.G. (2024). Using the five-factor model of per-sonalityto  identifyanoptimalswat  team member. International  Journal  of  Police Science &Amp; Management,27(1),3-15.
  66. Skoglund,  T.  H.,  Brekke,  T.-H.,  Steder,  F.  B.,  & Boe,  O.  (2020).  Big  five  personality  pro-files  in  the  Norwegian  special  operations forces. Frontiers in Psychology.
  67. Sotelo,  M.,  Villanueva,  A.,  &  Delgado,  R. (2024)Adaptingrolesand responsibilitiesamongSWAT operators:Theimpactof in-terventionsonteamdynamics.Journal Vergara Jr. et al., 2026 /Assessment of Special WeaponsandTacticsinthe Province of CaviteIJMABER826Volume 7| Number 2| February| 2026ofOrganizational Management,40(1),12–28. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12975
  68. Stannard,J.andFortington,L.(2021). Mus-culoskeletalinjuryinmilitaryspecialoperationsforces:a systematicreview.BMJMilitaryHealth,167(4),255-265.
  69. Strader, J., Schram, B., Irving, S.,  Robinson, J., & Orr,  R.  M.  (2020).  Special  weapons  and tactics  occupational-specific  physical  as-sessments  and  fitness  measures. Interna-tional  Journal  of  EnvironmentalResearchandPublic Health,17(21),8070.
  70. Swan,  E.,  Lynch,  T.,  Sheean,  A.,  Schmitz,  M.,Dickens,J.,&Patzkowski,J. (2022).Highincidenceofcombined  andposteriorla-braltearsinmilitary patientswithoper-ativeshoulder  instability.TheAmericanJournalof  SportsMedicine,  50(6),  1529-1533.
  71. Taylor,  T.  and  Wilcox,  M.  (2021).  Patriotism and  perceptions  of  police:  examining  the racial  divide  betweenblackandwhiteAmericans.Translational Issues in Psycho-logicalScience,7(4),392-404.
  72. Thomas,R.,Schram,B.,Irving,S.,Robinson,  J., & Orr, R. M. (2019). Associations between specialist tactical response  police unit se-lection success and urban rush, alongwith2.4kmand10kmloaded  carriage  events. International JournalofEnvironmentalRe-search  and  Public  Health,  16(19),  3558.
  73. Tomes,C.,Canetti,E.,Schram,B.,&Orr,R. (2025).  Ultra-short-term  versus  short-term measures of heart rate variabilityin specialist  police  units:  A  pilot  reliability study. Physiological Reports, 13(2).
  74. Watson, E. L.,  & Daniel,  C. (2022). Practical Ex-perience    as    a    Key    Factor    in    Law Enforcement  Preparedness:   A  Study   of Tactical Units. International Journal of Po-lice  Science  &  Management,  24(4),  345-356.
  75. Weyden,  J.,  Cruz,  P.,  &  Tan,  E.  (2021).  Cross-trainingandroleflexibilityin  tactical  law enforcement  teams. Tactical  Operations Review, 17(2), 89–105.
  76. Weyden,M.S.v.d.,Black,C.D.,Larson,D.  J., Rollberg, B.,  & Campbell, J. (2021). Devel-opment of a fitness testbatteryforspecialweaponsand  tactics  (swat)  operators:  A pilot  study. International  Journal  of  Envi-ronmentalResearchandPublic Health,18(15),7992.
  77. Weyden, M., Black, C., Larson, D., Rollberg,B.,&Campbell,J.(2021).  Developmentofafit-nesstestbattery  for  special  weapons  and tactics (swat)operators:Apilotstudy.International Journal of EnvironmentalRe-searchandPublic Health,18(15),7992.
  78. Wolfe,S.,  Rojek,J.,  McLean,K.,&Alpert,G. (2020).  Social  interaction  training  to  re-duce police use of force. The Annals of the American  Academy  of  Political  and  Social Science,687(1),124-145.
  79. Young,A.,Hennington,C.,&Eggleston,D. (2018). Us swat operator experience, per-sonality,   cognitive-emotion   regulation and decision-making style. Policing an In-ternationalJournal,41(2),247-261.
  80. Zwingmann, L., Zedler, M., Kurzner, S., Wahl, P., & Goldmann, J. (2021). Howfitarespecialoperationspolice  officers?  a  comparison with  elite  athletes  from  Olympic  disci-plines. Frontiers  in  Sports  and  Active Liv-ing,3.