Laramie Police Special Response Team Conducts Planned Training, Brief Road Impacts

The Laramie Police Department’s Special Response Team held a planned training exercise on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, and the department notified the public in advance about locations and temporary impacts. The department’s public notice and local listings flagged potential short-term impacts to streets and businesses while the monthly exercise took place within the city.

Board members who observed a scaled-down version of the classroom and hands-on work described intensive instruction. “We were provided with compressive training in equipment and weapons. From patrol officers to the Special Response Team, we reviewed the equipment available, discussed its purpose, reviewed scenarios that would necessitate its implementation, and had a frank discussion about community perceptions and concerns. We discussed the use of less lethal weapons and how offers are trained in what to use, when to use it, and the advantages and disadvantages of each. We were also provided the opportunity to handle and discharge several weapons classified as less lethal. It was a pretty intense first day. [...] other members of the Laramie Police Department made an enormous commitment to this effort and fully embraced the importance of our role. A law enforcement officer is faced with an extremely diverse set of situations that necessitate an enormous variety of responses. This level of decision-making and skill requires extensive training. A version of this training, although scaled down significantly, was provided to the Board. We began with the use of force. [...] Overall, the training provided by the Laramie Police Department was detailed, extensive, and effective. Most noteworthy is the open and honest conversations. Chief Browne and his team have remained open to answering any question and maintain tremendous patience as we work to gain an adequate understanding of complex policies, procedures, and training practices. The degree of transparency has been outstanding, and we believe Board members are positioned very well to meet our obligations.”

Local media reporting and departmental briefings detailed the SRT roster and allied support. “The team is allotted 13 people from the Laramie Police Department. In addition people from the Albany County Sherriff’s Office, Department of Criminal Investigation, University of Wyoming Police Department and Fire Department all work together on the SRT. They are also allotted up to three EMTs to help the team in emergency situations. In all, it is an 18 man team.” That composition matched the Feb. 18 deployment, with LPD personnel supplemented by county and state partners and medical support listed as available during exercises.

Commander Bury described how the unit trains and how the department minimizes disruptions to businesses and neighbors. “Commander Bury says the team trains once a month in a variety of situations. Some training includes traditional classroom type work, while others are more hands on. The team often uses buildings and businesses which are unoccupied, being renovated or soon to be torn down. Commander Bury says they do this to try to limit the impact their training has on business owners and those living in the area. [...] The Special Response Team continues to train for a variety of situations every month. If you see their vehicles parked outside of a building, they may be training. Commander Bury says that police dispatch is informed of when and where they will do training. If you have questions about why they are in a location, call the non-emergency dispatch number at (307) 721-2526.”

Social-media posts from neighboring agencies reflect similar joint-training patterns but are not tied to the Feb. 18 date. An Instagram post dated June 17, 2025, from cheyenne_police noted: “The training brought together SWAT operators from Laramie and Albany counties, with support from AMR and Cheyenne Fire Rescue medics. Together, the teams worked through complex, high-risk scenarios designed to sharpen tactical skills under pressure. Hopefully, we never need to use these skills, but hope isn’t a strategy when it comes to a crisis. Trainings like these help make sure our teams are ready to respond when it matters most.”

Regional incident-command and communications work provides broader context for interagency readiness. “Mr. Smolinski and Mr. Kelly recently completed a comprehensive one-day Incident Command System (ICS) training hosted by Laramie County Emergency Management. The training covered ICS courses 100, 200, 700, and 800, equipping them with a broader understanding of the ICS framework. According to Mr. Smolinski, this training will enhance the program's ability to collaborate effectively with counties during incident response and event management.”

The department reiterated that training is recurring and that dispatch is informed in advance; for questions about specific locations or temporary traffic impacts from the Feb. 18 exercise, call non-emergency dispatch at (307) 721-2526.