News Release - SWAT School

Temporary Closure of Billy Goat Trail Scheduled Oct 14 for Law Enforcement Training Exercise

WASHINGTON –The United States Park Police will be conducting exercises as part of their Basic SWAT School on Oct. 14 along the Billy Goat Trail at Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park. The Billy Goat Trail will be closed from 6 a.m. until 3 p.m. for the training exercise. The closed section will be from the Angler’s Inn trail head to the emergency exit trail intersection. Billy Goat-A trail from the Great Falls trail head to the emergency exit trail will remain open to visitors.  Officers will be posted at trailheads and along the trail for public safety and to alert visitors.

The United States Park Police’s Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) has been in existence since 1975. This highly trained team is proficient with a variety of weapons including the submachine gun, assault rifle, sniper rifle, and less lethal weaponry. The SWAT Unit conducts high-risk search warrants for the USPP Narcotics and Vice Unit, as well as for allied Federal, State, and local agencies.
SWAT conducts basic SWAT schools, which are routinely attended by officers from outside departments. The physically and mentally challenging course is designed to take police officers and train them to handle high-risk situations working in a team environment.