The METRO Team consists of sworn police officers from the University of Illinois Police, Urbana Police, Rantoul Police, and Champaign County Sheriff's Police. The METRO team is a specialized unit of officers who can respond to a variety of police situations that require special training and a team approach. METRO handles a wide variety of situations including hostage situations, barricaded armed subjects, counter sniper operations, high risk search warrants, surveillance, civil disturbances, and protective operations.

Officers on the METRO Team invest a large part of their time in developing a wide range of skills. Team members are on call 24 hours a day and at a moments notice. Officers undergo a selection process that tests their physical fitness, ability to solve problems in creative ways, police experience, and ability to operate calmly under high stress situations. Once an officer has been selected for the team they are sent to a State Certified basic S.W.A.T. school. In addition to basic SWAT training, METRO team members train together monthly and conduct a 2 day refresher training each year.

The METRO team was formed in 1985 when the University of Illinois and the Champaign County Sheriff's Police pooled their resources and formed the Tactical Response Unit. In 1991, the Urbana Police Department joined and the name was changed to the Metropolitan Emergency Tactical Response Operations (METRO) Team. In 1997, the Rantoul Police Department joined the METRO Team. The METRO Team is managed by a governing board of command officers from each department.