Carlsbad SWAT Officers Train (Loudly) for School Shooting Incidents

"Our idyllic life, the peace, the quiet and the serenity that we love about Carlsbad has all of a sudden turned into a shooting gallery," said resident Steven Johnson as he spoke during the public comment portion of the Carlsbad City Council meeting on February 28.

According to Johnson, he and his wife has been dealing with the echoing sounds of gunshots and men shouting from nearby Hope Elementary, near Calavera Park, where he claims the police SWAT team has been practicing for about two to three months.

"It's not just once, it's now every weekend," said Johnson. "It's physically stressful for my wife and probably other people that live in the neighborhood." He describes the noise as loud booming sounds from heavy weaponry — much louder than regular gunshots.

Johnson conceded that he understands the police need a place to practice but requested that the council consider moving the SWAT training to another location since he describes the noise as "unacceptable to our life."

Councilman Keith Blackburn responded to Johnson's comments by directing him to the police chief "I think he'd like to share with you what they were trying to do and that it's not ongoing week after week and just so his officers are trained in school shooting incidences," said Blackburn.