Last week, members of the Citrus County Sheriff's Office SWAT team left their mark on the 29th Annual SWAT Round-up International (SRI) competition.

Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams from law enforcement agencies both nationally and internationally competed in events that challenged individuals and team units alike.

The annual SWAT Round-up International combines education and training with outright head-to-head competition.

Staged at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office training facility in Orlando, this week-long, world-class event showcased special operations teams from Russia, Hungary, Kuwait, Bosnia, Aruba, Jamaica and Sweden, along with competitors from agencies around Florida and across the United States. In all, 59 teams competed in five grueling events, and the final standings were nothing short of incredible.

The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office placed fifth overall, outshining 54 other competitive SWAT teams in the five major events.

Also worth noting, CCSO’s eight-member team took second place in the tower scramble, one of the round-up’s main events which combines sniper and handgun shooting with tower climbing and rappelling. They also placed second in the obstacle course where teams are required to overcome 16 physically-challenging obstacles by using a combination of teamwork and fortitude. Team members placed in the top 25 in all three remaining events.

SWAT members routinely rely on their skills; training; physical and mental acuity; specialized weapons, vehicles and equipment; plus an elevated level of teamwork to safely defuse such dangerous instances as rescuing hostages, subduing barricaded subjects, executing high-risk arrest or search warrants and apprehending heavily-armed criminals.

Under the command of Special Operations Capt. Mike Richie, members of the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office team who competed in all of the round-up events this year included team leader Dep. Mickey Dixon, Sgt. Ryan Glaze, Det. John Novy, Det. Jeremy Laughlin, Det. Craig Callahan, Det. Jose Carreras, Dep. Travis Haynes, Dep. Juan Berrios, Dep. Bobby Lambert, Dep. Thomas Beagan and Dep. Nick Hesse. A winning combination of proficiency, speed and teamwork served all CCSO SWAT members solidly in this year’s competition.

Citrus County’s team members placed seventh among the 51 teams that competed in last year’s SWAT Round-up International, plus took home the Florida SWAT Association (FSA) Presidential Award for their goodwill and outgoing camaraderie with fellow competitors.

“This was a great effort by the agency’s highly competitive SWAT team members,” said Sheriff Jeff Dawsy. “Hard work, training and physical fitness truly stood out as the instruments of their success,” he added. Besides bringing home a trophy, the winning competitors also were awarded high-dollar tactical gear and apparel for use by the team.

Dawsy believes that Citrus County’s citizens should feel not only safe, but confident and proud (as his entire agency does) knowing that their special operations team consistently demonstrates the training, skills and mind-set needed to get the job done.