They actually do, and not just in the movies. Also, I think, do some military types.
So what’s the advantage? It’s not for warmth.
I know all this because I watched The Professional on dvd last night.
Peace,
mangeorge
So they won’t be recognized outside of the swat team.
By the bad guys.
…and survey says…
Maybe, in low light situations, black ski masks are harder to spot than nice shiny white skin?
Huh?
Anyway, I don’t think it’s for disguise. I thought about that, but they often remove them when talking to the media.
Aha!
They don’t always. When the SWAT team came to de-gang our hospital waiting room, they had helmets with face plates and shields.
They’re also not your run-of-the-mill ski masks; they’re also fire- and cut-resistant.
And 1920’s Style Death Ray-resistant. Right?
Part of their tactical bag-o-tricks is overwhelming shock and confusion when they move on a target. The human brain feels warm and fuzzy when it sees and recognizes fellow human faces, but gets a bit puzzled mometarily when it cannot recognize things, like faces covered up with ski masks. That moment of confusion can mean a lot in some situations.
Here’s the Straightdope on hoods worn by SWAT guys.
First of all, they’re not “ski masks”. They’re Balaclavas. They are not as thick or as hot as a ski mask.
They’re usually made of a thin breathable and fire retardant material like Nomex. When worn in cold weather, they can come lined with Gore-Tex, a popular breathable warm and water-proof insulation.
A balaclava protects your face from cuts, scrapes, scratches, burns and fire. They serve the same purpose as wearing long sleeves and pants. It’s extra protection. The face is the one part of the body not normally protected by clothes. The balaclava provides that missing protection.
In many under-cover operations and drug stings and such, anyone not already wearing a balaclava will quickly throw one on when the arrests start. In this situation, its primary purpose is for concealing the identity of the officers, and less for protection. These guys will mainly be wearing jeans or shorts, a short sleeved or sleeveless shirt, maybe a vest, and then a hood on their face. In that situation, it’s being worn to conceal identity and not for protecting the face from cuts and scrapes.
In military operations, a balaclava will save a person the pain of camoflaging his face. This provides the same benefit for civilian SWAT teams as well. A shiny white face makes a nice target in a dark room when the entire rest of the officer is dark colored.
So actually, all the answers given so far have been correct. However, the purpose of the balaclava is to protect an otherwise uncovered face and neck. Concealment of identity and camoflage are just added bonuses.
While everything Bear_Nenno says is AFAIK correct, I feel that he somewhat gives the impression to those unfamiliar with the word (and it seems that some are) that “balaclava” refers only to those modern light weight high-tech items worn by special forces and racing drivers. While those certainly are balaclavas, the traditional balaclava helmet (named after the Crimean War battle at which the famous Charge of the Light Brigade took place), as worn by British soldiers and schoolchildren for generations, is a warm, knitted wool thingy very much like a ski mask except that the face is largely uncovered. I remember being packed off to school on cold mornings wearing one, and a nasty itchy thing it was too.
It’s a fashion statement. Don’t forget the matching black BDUs.
Nitpick: Gore-Tex ™ is not an insulating material, but rather a waterproof & breathable PTFE membrane. Most insulated balaclavas use either polyester fleece or Thinsulate ™ insulation for warmth, and then may be waterproofed with a Gore-Tex or similar lining. Alternatively, balaclavas for use in wet environments, such as marine enforcement, may be predominately made of neoprene. Tactical balaclavas, such as those used in enforcement applications, are most often made of Nomex ™ for fire retardance.
AH! You got me there. I was thinking about Thinsulate. Hell, I live in Florida, what do I know about insulation material!! If it gets a little cold, I wear an unlined Gore-Tex jacket. =)