The Fond du Lac City Police Department's SWAT Unit was organized in 1978 by Sergeant John Hoffman who  retired as the Captain of Patrol in 1998. The original team consisted of five SWAT Team members and two negotiators. The unit's weaponry consisted of four shotguns and one rifle. Swat Officers were issued a camouflaged shirt, hat and pants.

Our CRT Team presently consists of ten CRT Team Members, five negotiators and one Command Post Liaison. The weaponry has vastly changed since the late 70's. CRT Team members are now very well equipped including; ballistic vests, helmets, pagers, scrambled frequency radio, three different uniforms, cold weather gear, select fire weapons, less than lethal ammunition and O.C. pepper spray deployment systems. The CRT Team also has numerous ballistic shields, lasers, high intensity flashlights, rappelling equipment, a mobile command post, night vision, and reinforced foot wear.

The CRT Team is utilized when our department is required to resolve a "high risk incident" in which there is a threat of a weapon and/or knife. The CRT Negotiators are utilized to negotiate a "peaceful resolution" to a "high risk incident". The CRT Team members are assigned to many different areas within our department (e.g., patrol and crime prevention) as their regular duty assignments. However, with the training they receive through CRT they are called on to defuse potential "high risk" situations before they escalate.

The CRT Team Unit trains monthly and has developed contingency plans and trained for potential "high risk incident" locations/situations. Our CRT Team has been extremely successful in resolving high risk situations within our community.