Breaching Tools for Patrol Officers: Getting to the Threat Faster
By Amir Khillah, use-of-force & subject-control SME
When patrol officers are first on scene at an active threat, a locked or barricaded door can stop everything. Breaching tools for patrol officers used to live only on the SWAT truck. In this conversation I sat down with Kurt of Delia Tactical, a career officer who served as a SWAT team breacher, to talk about how patrol can carry a basic breaching capability and get to the threat faster.
Caption: "Breaching options for patrol officers" with Delia Tactical.
Why patrol breaching matters now
Kurt walked through how response changed. The old model was to surround and wait for SWAT, which carried the rams, Halligan bars and bolt cutters. Response shifted to patrol and squad-based entry, and armament evolved with it, but the breaching gear stayed on the SWAT truck. Attackers know patrol officers are coming fast, so many try to slow them down by locking or barricading doors.
A compact multi-tool built for the patrol car
As a patrol officer and team breacher, Kurt had nothing in his car but a crowbar. In 2008 he built a tool he could put on his back with several breaching functions in one, and other first responders started asking for it. That became the Raptor. The point for any officer isn't one brand. It's that a compact, slung tool lets you carry a breaching option through the structure, not just to the front door.
The patrol shotgun as an emergency breaching tool
Many agencies still have 12-gauge pump shotguns. Kurt explained that, with the right training and the right breaching munitions, a pump shotgun fitted with a muzzle standoff becomes an emergency breaching tool. Kurt stressed that shotgun breaching is a specialized skill that requires formal training, approved munitions and agency authorization.
Patrol breaching training: rehearse before you need it
We closed on preparation, the same way we approach fighting and field training:
Rehearse mentally. Play the what-if game so the first time you think about a breach isn't the first time you face one.
Know your jurisdiction. Be familiar with the schools and large buildings on your beat.
Know the tools. Learn what's available and work within your department's policies and procedures.
Sling it and move. A slung tool lets you breach again inside, where the next door may be locked too.
For more on how training choices hold up under stress, see my Police1 article Why stress inoculation is critical for police recruits.
Frequently asked questions
What breaching tools should patrol officers carry?
In the video, Kurt of Delia Tactical explains that patrol often has nothing but a crowbar, while SWAT carries rams, Halligan bars and bolt cutters. A compact multi-tool such as his Raptor, or a properly set-up breaching shotgun, puts a basic capability in the patrol car. Follow your agency's policy.
Why do active threats barricade doors?
Because attackers know patrol officers now respond fast instead of waiting for SWAT, the first thing many do is try to slow responders down with locked or barricaded doors.
Can a patrol shotgun be used for breaching?
With the right breaching munitions and a standoff device on the muzzle, a pump-action 12 gauge can serve as an emergency breaching tool, but only with formal training and agency authorization.
How should officers prepare for a breach they may never face?
Rehearse it mentally, play the what-if game, know the schools in your jurisdiction and know what tools exist, so the first time you think about it isn't the first time you face it.
Related reading: Centurion training for agencies · The Officer's Top-10 Field Guide · Training a spouse or family member? Guardian Ludus civilian self-defense
About the author. Amir Khillah is a use-of-force and subject-control subject matter expert and a peace officer based in the Kalamazoo, Michigan area. He founded Centurion Modern Subject Control, previously taught subject control at a regional police academy, and has written for Police1. He holds a 2nd-degree BJJ black belt and a 6th-degree Combat Hapkido black belt, is a U.S. Army Combatives Level II Instructor and a certified firearms instructor, and a retired professional MMA fighter (TUF 12, Bellator), and holds an M.S. in Human Performance from Western Michigan University.
Want this taught to your officers or DT instructors? Email booking@centurionmsc.com.
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