The chief of the New Orleans area levee police has sought to clarify the agency's decision to provide SWAT-like training for select officers and new rifles , saying the specialized instruction will allow the force to appropriately respond to a range of potential circumstances.

Superintendent Joshua Rondeno said the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority–East is not creating a SWAT unit , but will continue Special Response Team training for officers who pass a fitness test.

The clarification follows an internal memo advertising SWAT tryouts that promised selected officers new rifles. The flood agency’s push into specialized police training and purchase of rifles with suppressors — part of a steep increase in overall police spending — has raised questions about its budget pri

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