Robert Owens served forty-years in municipal law enforcement with the Dallas, Texas Police Department. Owens devoted 20-years to four tours with the full-time Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team.
Those tours consisted of service as Operator (Police Officer), Team Leader (Sergeant), Unit Commander (Lieutenant), and SWAT Operations and Training Commander. During his fourth tour with SWAT, Owens started a SWAT/Tactical Training Unit responsible for training the 50 full-time SWAT Officers and 3,500 non SWAT Officers. This training included firearms, chemical agents, ballistic shields, etc.
Owens held the rank of Lieutenant for 29-years as the Commander of Units consisting of up to 15 Sergeants and 100 police officers. His final training assignment was as Commander of the Firearms Training Center and the Commander of all In-Service training for 3,500 Dallas Police Officers.
During his service with SWAT, Owens commanded more than 400-barricaded person/hostage situations and more than one thousand hazardous search warrants.
Owens specialties include building and room close quarter battle tactics, bus and vehicle assaults, hostage rescue, and chemical agents.
He graduated from the prestigious FBI National Academy and DEA Drug Unit Commanders School. His police management training also includes the United States Secret Service Dignitary Protection Seminars, FBI Deadly Force Management, International Association of Chiefs of Police SWAT Command and Management, and FEMA’s Multi-Hazard Program for Schools Instructor. He is a licensed master peace officer and law enforcement instructor for the State of Texas.
Robert Owens is a Vietnam veteran having served as an infantryman in the United States Marine Corps with Charlie Company 1st Battalion/1st Marines 1969-1970. A native of Dallas, he graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in late 1973 and then joined the Dallas Police Department.