The genesis of SWAT units was the social, political, and economic upheavals of the 1960's. Police discovered that dealing with increasing levels of violence required new operating procedures, weapons, tactics, personnel selection, and training. Better armed criminals and tactically sound terrorists required more sophisticated armaments and specialized training, in short, a paramilitary response. However, unlike infantry rifle squads, police SWAT teams are defensive in nature, and discharge their weapons as a last resort. Police SWAT teams, accepting “talk” as their most effective weapon, include crisis/hostage negotiators who are trained to defuse emotion, disarm resistance, build rapport, and gain influence with difficult subjects. The article discusses how the two elements -- tactics and talk -- of police SWAT teams work together in what it describes as the “iron fist in a velvet glove” approach. Only when the velvet glove of negotiation has failed to resolve a situation will SWAT team members use the iron fist of weaponry to neutralize the threat with a minimum of firepower and with great precision.