Katie Kuper is always looking to better herself any way she can.

The 27-year-old Danville police officer had her eyes on joining the SWAT team even before she joined the department in October 2021. In July, she became the first female member of the team.

“I hope that, in this position, I can be a role model to others who are looking to either be part of the police department, or maybe they want to do something like the SWAT team,” Kuper said during an interview Wednesday afternoon at the Danville Police Department headquarters.

She has had nothing but support from her colleagues since.

“I’ve just been very overwhelmed by all the support from everybody here,” Kuper said. “Everybody has been very congratulatory.”

She added that she is honored that the team is willing to trust her with their lives to have their backs.

The SWAT (special weapons and tactics) team is deployed at the command of the chief of police. Those officers, who are otherwise working their regular beats, must be willing to respond at a moment’s notice.

Since 2013, the SWAT team has been deployed 87 times. There has been no call to deploy the department’s SWAT team so far in this year.

It was deployed twice in 2022, four times in 2021, once in 2020, eight times in 2019 and five times in 2018.

The chief of police deployed the SWAT team 44 times in 2017 (the year before Scott Booth became chief of police) and 16 times in 2016.

2013 and 2014 saw the team deployed three and four times, respectively. There were no figures available for 2015.

A SWAT team may be deployed to serious situations including those involving a barricaded person, for example.

“It’s very much at the discretion of the chief as to what situations would be most appropriately handled by the SWAT team,” Kuper said.

There are 16 members on the department’s SWAT team, said Matt Bell, spokesperson for the police department.

A situation must meet a high threshold before the team is deployed, Bell said.

“SWAT is sort of that last resort,” he said.

To qualify for the team, candidates must go through a process.

Interested officers apply to join the SWAT team, and there is physical testing, firearms proficiency testing, psychological testing and interviews of all candidates of those who qualify after that, Bell said.

During interviews, their work history, accomplishments and prior job performance are reviewed. After that, SWAT leadership and supervision then make recommendations to the chief of police.

Police Chief Scott Booth pointed to Kuper’s determination and enthusiasm as factors that will make her a good team member.

“She’s always seemed to be a very determined officer and has done a great job for us from day one,” Booth said Thursday. “You have to be able to work on a team. Kate has been a good team member with her patrol shift.”

Kuper has an enthusiastic and positive attitude whenever she engages with her fellow police officers and members of the community, Booth added.

“She was one of the best candidates,” he said. “It’s great we’re able to diversify our SWAT team.”

During her training at the police academy to become a police officer, Kuper focused on her physical fitness so she could qualify for the SWAT team.

The Charlottesville-area native started thinking about pursuing a career in law enforcement when she was 14. But it was during a church youth group trip to Washington, D.C., at 15 when she knew for sure she wanted to be a police officer.

She felt drawn to the urban setting.

“It was a huge culture shock for me, growing up in a rural area,” Kuper said, adding that she wanted to be a part of Danville.

As a woman on the SWAT team, Kuper said people may feel more comfortable approaching and talking to her.

“It’s another tool we have available to use,” she said, referring to her presence on the team.

She can also bring a different perspective that will be valuable, she said.

“All of the ... members of the team, up until now, have been males,” she said. “And now to have a female, we think differently, we work differently, we communicate differently and so I’m looking forward to being able to work with the team in that way.”

Kuper, who holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Regent University, savors the challenge that comes with being a police officer.

She works the northeast quarter of Danville, which includes the Camp Grove area, Arnett Boulevard, North Main Street and Piney Forest Road.

“I love that every day is different,” she said. “You come to work not having any idea what to expect for the day.”