Florida police officers resign from SWAT unit, say they feel ‘restrained by the politicization of our tactics’

by Marty Johnson - 06/13/20 3:37 PM ET

Almost a dozen South Florida police officers resigned from their city’s SWAT unit this week, claiming that they did not feel safe and that they were “restrained by the politicization of our tactics.”

The group of 10 officers wrote to Hallandale Beach Police Chief Sonia Quinones on Tuesday to notify her of their resignations.

In the letter, obtained by CNN, the officers claimed that they were “minimally equipped, under trained and often times restrained by the politicization of our tactics to the extent of placing the safety of dogs over the safety of the team members.”

They added, “Until these conditions and sentiments are rectified and addressed, we cannot safely, effectively and in good faith carry out duties in this capacity without putting ourselves and our families at this needless increased level of risk.”

Their resignations come as calls for law enforcement reform following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25 dominate the national discourse.

The news also comes after 57 Buffalo, N.Y., police officers resigned from the Buffalo Police Department Emergency Response Team after two officers on the force were were suspended and criminally charged for pushing a 75-year-old protester to the ground, critically injuring him.