Steve Stear
Steve is the lead instructor in the Basic and Advanced SWAT tactics and has been an instructor with the IACP for over 20 years. He also is a certified P.O.S.T. instructor in SWAT Tactics for the state of New York and an FBI certified range master. Steve was a Los Angeles Police officer for 37 ½ years. Upon graduating from the Police academy he was assigned to South Central L.A. where he worked the first Gang detail on LAPD. After three years he was upgraded to a training officer. After two years he transferred to a specialized division that was the departments reactionary division for crime problems and emergency response for earthquakes, demonstrations, VIP protection, etc. The department’s SWAT unit was also assigned there. Steve was soon accepted as a member of this full time dedicated SWAT team. He remained in SWAT for the next 25 ½ years, 15 years as a Team Leader. Steve planned and participated in well over 1,000 SWAT operations. He specialized in stealth entry techniques, high risk warrant planning, hostage rescue, vehicle assaults, and immediate action/rapid deployment. During his tenure in SWAT Steve was the recipient of the LAPD Police Merit Medal, three LAPD Police Commission Unit Citation Medals and was Awarded the LAPD SWAT Officer of the Year in 1996 and again in 2001. Steve retired from the Los Angeles Police Department in April, 2007.