General Information

In 1990 a jailhouse riot occurred at the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Metro Detention Facility. Inmates assigned to Ward A2W (a 28 bed ward housing very violent offenders) accessed the door system and removed several heavy metal components. The inmates fashioned the components into weapons and began to threaten harm to staff and were a few minutes from being able to release the rest of the ward from their cells. Metro Floor Deputies requested assistance from CJC Deputies to quell the situation. In the process, three of the responding staff were cut, sliced, and one member was stabbed near his eye.

This incident identified a need for a team with specialized equipment and training to safely handle emergent situations within the facility. The idea of the Special Response Team was born. Some staff members involved in the incident were tasked with purchasing equipment and implementing training to forge a team to assist with jail emergencies.

The responsibilities of the Team cover a large gamut of duties, which have expanded since the original implementation of the Team. Some of these include: Forced Cell Extractions, Open Area Containment, Riot Control, Mental Health Pick Ups, High Risk Extraditions and Transports, High Risk Jury Trials and Site Visits, and supplemental duties to the SWAT Team.

To be selected for SRT you must successfully complete an oral board, a grueling fitness and obstacle course, and a 50 hour basic academy.

Most members will agree, the 50 hour SRT Basic Academy is physically and mentally challenging which has forged our motto,