In 1999, the Westfield Police Department formed their first Special Response Team (SRT). The team was formed by and under the command of Lieutenant Paul Kousch. Today the team is run by Sergeant Jeffrey Baillargeon and consists of twelve members. Our Special Response Team is a part time team, meaning they train together at least once per month for specialized situations and are called out when the need arises, however each officer works a regular patrol shift as their full time assignment. The team trains and is responsible for special situations which require a higher degree of precision than first responding officers may be able to deliver. The team trains with specialized weapons and advanced tactics to assist in unique circumstances. Some situations which may require the use of Westfield’s Special Response Team include, but are not limited to: serving high risk arrest warrants or executing high risk search warrants, hostage or crisis situations, barricaded subjects, or situations where it is known in advance that weapons may play a role.