Page 478 - NIXBOOK

A typical drug raid briefing would include all the SOG operatives, a couple of uniformed patrol officers with marked police cars,
a drug dog and handler, and sometimes a patrol dog and handler, in case somebody wanted to try running away. A supervisor
or two would oversee the briefing and sign off on everything. The whole thing is kind of interesting so I’ll describe it here: First,
everybody gets a 10 or 15 or 20 page copy of the master plan, which would cover everything including a comprehensive safety
plan and risk analysis and it lays out the roles and duties for everybody involved.
The packet of paperwork starts with a briefing location, then the raid location, and a bunch of checkboxes for what kind of an
operation is going down (search warrant, drug lab bust, buy and bust or buy and walk, etc) and the communications protocol is
described, with cell phone numbers of the officers and agents participating, and main and back-up radio frequencies. Then
there’s a checklist for other police agencies notified and/or participating, and who has the before and during surveillance
assignments.

There would be some pages devoted to suspect information: who they are, what
they look like, what they’re driving, and their criminal history. Usually includes
mug shots, DOL photos, and surveillance photos of their cars and the target
house.

Sometimes the interior layout of the house is known, because one or more
informants were inside. If the inside of the house a mystery, it is possible to
estimate which rooms are where based on outside clues. I actually went to a
training once for that; how to identify sink vent pipes on the roof to figure out
where the sinks are (bathrooms and kitchen); dryer vents on the sides of house
show where the laundry room would be; small opaque windows are usually for
bathrooms, chimney stacks or vent pipes indicate where heaters are, etc. Armed
with that knowledge is not too difficult to figure out which rooms are where
inside.

Also important was the notation that the raid event had been recorded with the Western States Information Network, part of
the Regional Information Sharing System Program. A kind of a central clearinghouse, they kept track of all the drug buys and
drug busts from every agency who bothered to check in with them. It was a pretty good idea because there had been a few too
many times when undercover cops from one drug task force here and there had sold drugs to, um, other undercover cops from
other task forces. Aside from the general waste of time and resources, it was of course rather dangerous (and professionally
embarrassing) when different task forces of undercover cops wound up trying to arrest other task forces. So a central check-in
agency with national oversight was formed to prevent major conflicts like that. It was also helpful when undercover cops were
doing covert surveillance or drug buys and didn’t want or need any other departments to come blasting in less than a block
away with some kind of other major police operation at the exact wrong time and place; drug deals work best when the local
patrol officers are not anywhere nearby.
More pages for noting the nearest hospital and fire station with medic units in case things went really sideways. And known
hazards at the site were noted, like large propane tanks or pit bulls or fences that would be too difficult to breach or climb over,
or if the bad guys had their own surveillance cameras pointed outside.
Another page or two to outline the general mission and explain what the bad guys had been doing to deserve extra special
attention. If other people might be in the house but were known to be not involved in the criminal activity (like kids or
grandparents or innocent roommates) than that would be noted, too.
Some operational plans had a “Plan A” and a “Plan B” and a “Plan C” in anticipation of possible contingencies.

There was a page for a risk analysis checklist, which would include elements like how many suspects would probably be present,
what was their propensity for violence, did any of them have a military background, was the target site fortified or booby trapped
or under video surveillance, was there a potential for hostage taking, what kind of weapons were going to be present, were there
multiple escape routes, large amounts of narcotics, hidden rooms or compartments, and what was the floor plan?
Then some pages to detail which officers would be performing the specific duties during the event: Most operations had: A
supervisor/incident commander, a case agent/interviewer, a tactical entry team, perimeter security and surveillance units,
prisoner transport for afterward, and uniformed patrol officers in police cars to block off the nearest roads and route traffic
around the scene. The uniformed officers also made a visible police presence so nearby residents and people walking or driving
by would understand it was a police operation, which was sometimes hard to discern if the perimeter guys were in camouflage.
A K9 unit or two might be needed; a patrol/tracking dog if a bad guy bolted and needed to be chased, and a drug dog to help