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Los Santos Police Department
Los Santos, San Andreas
Los Santos: The Metropolitan Division, commonly shortened and referred to as just "Metro", is an elite division of the Los Santos Police Department under its Special Operations Bureau. The Metropolitan Division is responsible for managing the LSPD's SWAT and K9 units, named "platoons".
The Metropolitan Division is often at the forefront of high-intensity and dangerous situations due to their training, which has resulted in their prominent presence in mainstream media and press, including that of the Los Santos Police Department. Officers assigned to the division have been the recipient of many accolades, most recent and notably, the Chief's Unit Citation, which is the Department's highest unit award and is awarded only by the Chief of Police to an organizational unit of the Department for bravery and outstanding service by its members functioning as a team.
Originally founded as the Special Weapons and Tactics Division, it was rebranded to the Metropolitan Division to further cater to the specialized needs of the Department and the City. Today, the division is organized into three platoons: D Platoon (SWAT), K9 Platoon, and M Platoon.
M Platoon is responsible for and performs the administrative and support functions, specifically focusing on the training processes of the division. This platoon is often underestimated importance, as the continuous training of the officers assigned to the specialized assignments within the Metropolitan Division is what sets them apart from others and ensures that their officers are held to the highest standards.
K9 Platoon, or the Canine Platoon, has a number of highly trained dog handlers and their police dogs assigned to the platoon and deploys them based on necessity. Most often deployed in a supporting capacity for field and detective operations, dog handlers may be seen on patrol in distinguishable cruisers, marked to indicate the presence of a police dog.
D Platoon is the LSPD's police tactical unit and is the SWAT team of the Department. With a roster bolstering at least 18 officers assigned to the division full-time and a reserve program beyond that, it provides the LSPD with around-the-clock coverage necessary for immediate response to barricaded suspects, crisis and hostage negotiations, active shooters, potential suicide-related situations, and other high-risk incidents.
Officers assigned to the Metropolitan Division are further responsible for duties including search warrant service, dignitary protection, counterterrorism, and riot control.
Beyond that, the Metropolitan Division further houses the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), also referred to as "Bomb Squad", and the Underwater Dive Unit (UDU), which make up the remainder of the division. The Underwater Dive Unit serves the purpose of aiding the Department in ensuring efficiency and success in maritime situations, and they may further conduct duties such as underwater search and recovery of criminal evidence, body recoveries, and suspect apprehension. Explosive Ordnance Disposal, or "Bomb Squad," focuses on working with devices designed to destroy infrastructure, vehicles, objects of importance, or personnel in a controlled and safe fashion.
The Metropolitan Division is currently led and spearheaded by two veterans of the Los Santos Police Department and its specialized operations. With Commander Gareth Longford, Commanding Officer, Metropolitan Division and Captain II Bill Breacher, Assistant Commanding Officer, Metropolitan Division at the helm, the division has seen significant development and progress over the last years, including but not limited to the proper formalization of the K9 Platoon and the expansion of duties by the establishment of the Underwater Dive Unit.
For the purposes of this article, the Media Relations Division has inquired with Commander Longford, who has taken time out of his busy schedule to provide media relations with a few quotes and statements with respect to the Metropolitan Division, for which we are grateful. The following questions were posed, and Commander Longford answered as follows;
What do you believe are the current strengths of your division? What does the division mean and do for the LSPD and, in turn, the public?
How has the division evolved since you initially became a part of it? What are your future plans for the division?
The Metropolitan Division has, is, and will continue to be the response of the Los Santos Police Department to the ever-escalating dynamic of the illegal aspects, individuals, and groups operating within the City, to ensure the smoothest operation and deployment of specialized assets to bring hectic, high-risk incidents to a swift, safe conclusion, and shall remain at the forefront of the development of specialized responses and tactics.
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Los Santos, San Andreas
News Release
NR024-25ef
March 9, 2025
Featured Division: Metropolitan Division
Los Santos: The Metropolitan Division, commonly shortened and referred to as just "Metro", is an elite division of the Los Santos Police Department under its Special Operations Bureau. The Metropolitan Division is responsible for managing the LSPD's SWAT and K9 units, named "platoons".
The Metropolitan Division is often at the forefront of high-intensity and dangerous situations due to their training, which has resulted in their prominent presence in mainstream media and press, including that of the Los Santos Police Department. Officers assigned to the division have been the recipient of many accolades, most recent and notably, the Chief's Unit Citation, which is the Department's highest unit award and is awarded only by the Chief of Police to an organizational unit of the Department for bravery and outstanding service by its members functioning as a team.
Originally founded as the Special Weapons and Tactics Division, it was rebranded to the Metropolitan Division to further cater to the specialized needs of the Department and the City. Today, the division is organized into three platoons: D Platoon (SWAT), K9 Platoon, and M Platoon.
M Platoon is responsible for and performs the administrative and support functions, specifically focusing on the training processes of the division. This platoon is often underestimated importance, as the continuous training of the officers assigned to the specialized assignments within the Metropolitan Division is what sets them apart from others and ensures that their officers are held to the highest standards.
K9 Platoon, or the Canine Platoon, has a number of highly trained dog handlers and their police dogs assigned to the platoon and deploys them based on necessity. Most often deployed in a supporting capacity for field and detective operations, dog handlers may be seen on patrol in distinguishable cruisers, marked to indicate the presence of a police dog.
D Platoon is the LSPD's police tactical unit and is the SWAT team of the Department. With a roster bolstering at least 18 officers assigned to the division full-time and a reserve program beyond that, it provides the LSPD with around-the-clock coverage necessary for immediate response to barricaded suspects, crisis and hostage negotiations, active shooters, potential suicide-related situations, and other high-risk incidents.
Officers assigned to the Metropolitan Division are further responsible for duties including search warrant service, dignitary protection, counterterrorism, and riot control.
Beyond that, the Metropolitan Division further houses the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), also referred to as "Bomb Squad", and the Underwater Dive Unit (UDU), which make up the remainder of the division. The Underwater Dive Unit serves the purpose of aiding the Department in ensuring efficiency and success in maritime situations, and they may further conduct duties such as underwater search and recovery of criminal evidence, body recoveries, and suspect apprehension. Explosive Ordnance Disposal, or "Bomb Squad," focuses on working with devices designed to destroy infrastructure, vehicles, objects of importance, or personnel in a controlled and safe fashion.
The Metropolitan Division is currently led and spearheaded by two veterans of the Los Santos Police Department and its specialized operations. With Commander Gareth Longford, Commanding Officer, Metropolitan Division and Captain II Bill Breacher, Assistant Commanding Officer, Metropolitan Division at the helm, the division has seen significant development and progress over the last years, including but not limited to the proper formalization of the K9 Platoon and the expansion of duties by the establishment of the Underwater Dive Unit.
For the purposes of this article, the Media Relations Division has inquired with Commander Longford, who has taken time out of his busy schedule to provide media relations with a few quotes and statements with respect to the Metropolitan Division, for which we are grateful. The following questions were posed, and Commander Longford answered as follows;
What do you believe are the current strengths of your division? What does the division mean and do for the LSPD and, in turn, the public?
The Metropolitan Division’s D platoon is at the forefront of engaging tactical situations involving violent crime, such as hostage situations and barricaded suspects. D Platoon also assists the Detective Bureau in executing search warrants, which can often develop into violent retaliation from gangs of organised crime that D Platoon is expertly trained in handling.
Also housed within the Metropolitan Division is the K9 Platoon, which is dedicated to utilising Canine Officers to detect a wide variety of contraband within the state, such as narcotics, gunpowder, and currency. Our highly trained Handlers, paired with the Department's Detectives, results in a highly effective method of seizing such contraband.
How has the division evolved since you initially became a part of it? What are your future plans for the division?
From the moment I stepped into my position within the Metropolitan Division, it was clear that the Division had a solid foundation of teamwork coupled with a familial identity. This sense of family has carried on through to today and is getting ever stronger. Through the years, the Metropolitan Division has developed new abilities and has received many new technological upgrades, which allows SWAT Officers to tackle suitable situations more dynamically, and has allowed a broader variety of certifications available to Canine Officers. It is our endeavour as Metropolitan Division Command to push the envelope and expand on the division's abilities to always stay two steps ahead of violent crime.
The Metropolitan Division has, is, and will continue to be the response of the Los Santos Police Department to the ever-escalating dynamic of the illegal aspects, individuals, and groups operating within the City, to ensure the smoothest operation and deployment of specialized assets to bring hectic, high-risk incidents to a swift, safe conclusion, and shall remain at the forefront of the development of specialized responses and tactics.
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69 Sinner Street • Los Santos • San Andreas • 90013
Emergency Hotline: 911 • Public Inquiries • Email: [email protected]
"to protect and to serve"
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69 Sinner Street • Los Santos • San Andreas • 90013
Emergency Hotline: 911 • Public Inquiries • Email: [email protected]
"to protect and to serve"
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