The SRT is team comprised of Sheriff James Hoskins, four Wetzel County Sheriff’s officers, and four New Martinsville Police Department officers. Together they form a group of specially trained volunteers who give of their own time, often buy much of their own equipment, and whose purpose is to save lives in an emergency. The team may be activated during critical incidents such as an armed hostage situation, an barricaded operation, a school takeover, a terrorist threat, a sniper situation, high risk warrant service such as in drug dealer cases or apprehension, protection of dignitaries, or any scenario in which the capabilities of regular police officers are not sufficient to handle the threat to the peace of the community. Formed to protect Wetzel County, the team is multijurisdictional and may be called up to support other tactical teams in the northern West Virginia region.
The SRT training session was held at Ohio Valley Tactical, a facility near Clarington, Ohio, created for the purpose of giving “superior training to law enforcement, military, as well as private sectors and civilians in fire arms, weapons manipulation, and tactical skills,” said owner Tom Taylor. The training center operates a masonry shooting house with several rooms and hallways with an observation catwalk for instructors. There is also a shooting range and a 50-foot tower with levels for rope training, rappelling, and elevated shooting.
In charge of training the SRT that day, Team Leader Haught, who has over 20 years experience in tactical maneuvers and has decades of history as a sharpshooter and firearms specialist instructor, gave an informative lecture. He began by telling the audience why the SRT is necessary. “It’s not Mayberry anymore and we’re not Barney Fife. Because of the new three-strikes rule criminals are more desperate to stay out of jail. Drug dealers are more sophisticated and they have more advanced weapons. Law enforcement must be better trained to keep up with the skills of the criminals. “The criminals are trained,” said Haught. “They plan.”
SRT members are constantly training because “shooting is a perishable skill” according to Haught. They practice on average at least 40 hours per month and must prove 95 percent accuracy in hitting targets. Additionally, SRT members must show they can, in a split second, differentiate between targets holding a weapon and non-threat targets such as an unarmed person or an armed target using a hostage as a shield. “We are held to a higher standard and we must train so that in an emergency situation, even in a high stress situation, we can always fall back on the training and working as a team,” he said.
Because the SRT is activated only in high-threat situations, their lives are in greater danger. To help protect them as much as possible they wear special protective gear, some of which was paid for by a recent U. S. Justice Department grant. Spread out before Haught was an array of tactical equipment such as a night vision monocular, modified weapons specially created for SRT tactical units, communications equipment, and samples of protective gear. One suit of gear costs between $5,000 and $6,000, not including the weapons, which run additional thousands, which many of the men purchase using their own money. Besides being costly, the protective gear is heavy, such as the ballistics vest which weighs 30 pounds before fully equipped with ammunition and other equipment.
After the lecture the SRT then suited up and began their training. From a stationary stance and in motion they shot at targets. Then walking behind the shield-bearer they entered the block shooting house, simulating a scenario in which they would have to burst into a building and quickly discriminate types of targets.
The guests were impressed by the presentation, the demonstration, and the SRT level of knowledge and skill. Jim Quinet, owner of Quinet’s Court Restaurant said to them, “You’re doing a really good job. I’m proud to live in Wetzel County.” His remark brought a spontaneous burst of applause.
New Martinsville City Councilman Steve Pallisco said, “It’s great to see the city and county work together. They make a great team.”
Jim Rice of AAA Homes agreed. “They’re amazing. I was very impressed with how advanced they are in weapons and how well they work as a team. Also I thought Rob Haught gave a very good presentation.”
Other guests such as Valley High School Principal Shawn Coen were similarly affected, “It was very evident they are well-trained and truly dedicated to this team. This demonstration certainly enhanced my appreciation of the SRT.”
VHS Special Needs teacher Kristy Earley said, “They were well-prepared. I commend them on purchasing things with their own money. I hope we never have to use them, but I’m glad they’re here. They show dedication to the county and the people they serve.”
It is not well-known to the public that the SRT is made up of volunteers. Judy Hill and her husband Buzz Miller felt the public needs to be better informed. “They are to be admired and respected,” Hill said, “about how much of the SRT’s own time and money are being spent in protecting us.”
The team found the time on June 7 to come out in 90-plus temperatures, put on helmets, and carry 50 pounds of gear or more, just to train so they could keep their skills sharp. One may wonder why they would sacrifice their free time and finances.
Haught likes to use this analogy. There are three types of people in the world. About 95 percent of them are like a flock of sheep, he says. They are peace loving, they stick together, and they are not aggressive. Another two or three percent are the wolves—those who are like the drug dealers and others who prey on the peaceful segment of our society. They are ruthless, full of guile, and they will stop at nothing to get what they want. Lives of the innocent matter little to them.
Then there are the remaining two or three percent who are the guards, the protecting sheepdogs, whose duty it is to keep the flock safe. Sometimes the sheep look upon the sheep dogs with disdain, thinking their efforts at herding them and keeping them under control are bothersome.
However, when the wolves attack, the sheep know who will save them and they run to the dogs for protection. “It is instinctual for the dogs to keep the sheep safe,” he says. “It’s the same with the guys in the SRT.”
One guest not known in Wetzel County to the general public but well-known in the international tactical training field was Ken Hackathorn, who said the SRT “...can handle emergency situations. Wetzel County is lucky to have them.”
When asked what he hoped the SRT demonstration would achieve, Sheriff Hoskins replied, “I want to raise community awareness of the SRT’s efforts to eradicate crime.” He also said plans are developing to expand the SRT to include Sistersville with the addition of Don Bordenkircher of the Sistersville Police Department. Since its formation in 2005 the SRT has been activated 14 times, with no loss of lives and no use of violent force to resolve the problem.