Should the Brookhaven Board of Aldermen grant Police Chief Bobby Bell’s request to fund a SWAT unit, the city will join many others in having its own special weapons and tactics team.

Bell requested funding for the team at a board work session this week. Though we would like to think a SWAT unit isn’t necessary in our fair city, we know better.  Just last year, an hours-long standoff ended with the death of a suspect. An outside SWAT unit was called in to assist local law enforcement.

Unfortunately, police now need to have SWAT capabilities to adequately protect the public.

While there have been some arguments made against “militarizing” police in cities like Ferguson, Missouri, and others where violence has broken out, it doesn’t appear that’s what Bell has in mind. Local police don’t have armored assault vehicles or other tactical vehicles that are a better fit on the battlefield than on our streets.

Bell is simply seeking to make sure his officers are equipped to handle whatever situation arrises, and the board should seriously consider granting the funding request.

Bell also hopes to install cameras on public street poles throughout the city in order to better monitor crime — or at least have a better chance of catching a suspect if the crime occurs on or near a public street.

There are always serious privacy concerns when public security cameras are involved, and we encourage the board to discuss those issues before agreeing to the idea. There’s also issues of how security footage will be used, controlled and protected. We support proactive police measures as long as they are not infringing on citizens’ rights.