[auveair]

> Do police in other countries simply not have the capacity to deal with people in imminent danger?

Speaking from europe, we just don't have that here, at least not enough to have SWAT forces ready immediately.

I can't think of any times that it was a problem the SWAT team was not ready.

[hef19898]

The equivilant to SWAT in Germany is run by state police. They are used in specific situations, and most of those are never covered by the press. Statiscally, they are have on average around one deployment per day.

The big difference is, those units in Europe are a professiobally trained force and part of a professionally trained police force. And not somw wannabe commandos recruited from ill-trained police officers run by departments too small to even exist in Europe.

[someweirdperson]

> The equivilant to SWAT in Germany is run by state police.

Federal.

[formerly_proven]

No?

SWAT ~= MEK, SEK

FBI HRT ~= GSG-9

[hef19898]

The French also have multiple: GIGN from the Gendarmerie, GIPN and RAID from the Police National. The small police departments and sheriffs offices, the latter with elected sheriffs without any real training and qualification requirements, are an US thing.