Tactical Response Team
Sniper Team

The Police Marksman/Observer Team

The police marksman / observer team are more commonly known as the sniper / spotter team.  The team normally consists of two individuals who are both fully qualified as marksmen.  However, to function effectively, one will be “on the gun” or the “sniper” while the other watches the objective and surroundings and provides security for the team.  The two will rotate duties on a regular basis during Tactical Response Team activations and on extended details.

Many full time Tactical Teams have several two person marksman teams, in order to provide better coverage and vantage points during operations.  The marksman teams are also very valuable in providing pre-surveillance information to entry teams, as well as suppressive and cover fire for the entry team.  The Alton Police Tactical Response Team has one, two person, dedicated marksman team.  Two additional officers are trained marksmen and serve as alternate observers, should the primary team need to be split for better coverage.

Some duties and responsibilities of the precision marksmen are to detect and announce targets, operate diversionary devices, engage human and material targets when necessary, coordinate other team movements, provide pre-surveillance information and cover/suppression fire for the entry team.

Due to liability, police marksmen do not rotate their weapons.  Each team member of the Alton Police Sniper Team has a Remington 700 Police Sniper System Rifle, .308 Caliber, with Leupold Optics, issued exclusively to him.   The team also has a Ruger Mini-14, .223 Caliber issued, for suppressive/cover fire, as well as for team security on operations.

Being a good police marksman involves three main skills - marksmanship, field craft, and tactics.  Each potential sniper team member should possess the experience, interest, and demonstrated aptitude within at least one of these areas.  Training will round out the other two remaining skills.

Marksmanship

The police marksman should like shooting.  He should possess a natural curiosity about bullets, optics, weapons, tactics, camouflage, field craft, and principles of war.

This area includes such skills as use of camouflage, observation techniques, wind and range estimation and the ability to read weather conditions.  Additional skills to possess are the ability to track in natural settings, understand maps and the ability to move in the field without being seen.

Basically, discipline and patience are essential qualities for the police sniper to possess.  Obviously, marksmanship is an essential element.  A sniper must be able to engage targets at long range and under any circumstance.  In order to develop adequate shooting skills an individual should be prepared to fire between 5,000 and 10,000 rounds of ammunition and be prepared to endure long and arduous training sessions.

The Alton Police Sniper Team is committed to excellence and dedicated to professionalism.  All team members are members of the Illinois Tactical Officer's Association.  

For questions or more information on the Alton Police Sniper Team contact Sniper Team Leader, Deputy Chief Jody O'Guinn, at the E-Mail address of oguinn@altonpolice.com.