The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will offer an inside look Thursday at the operations and training of its Sheriff’s Response Team, the specialized unit frequently deployed during demonstrations, civil unrest incidents and other major public safety events.
The media event is scheduled from 8 a.m. to noon Thursday at the Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic and will include live demonstrations, displays of tactical equipment and interviews with Sheriff’s Response Team personnel and members of the department’s Arson Explosive Detail.
Sheriff Robert Luna is expected to attend the event, according to the department.
The Sheriff’s Department said the event is intended to provide a closer look at the training, planning and crowd management strategies used by the unit during large-scale incidents.
“While the Sheriff’s Response Team is frequently seen during large-scale demonstrations and civil unrest incidents, members of the media rarely have the opportunity to learn about the extensive training, planning, and crowd management strategies behind those deployments,” the department said in a statement.
The department said media representatives will observe demonstrations involving “specialized equipment, advanced training, and the Department’s approach to maintaining public safety while protecting constitutional rights.”
According to the department, the Sheriff’s Response Team “may respond to pre-planned events and spontaneous incidents and to restore public order.”