Northern Ireland Security Guard Service

Last updated

Northern Ireland Security Guard Service
Northern Ireland Security Guard Service.jpg
Cap Badge of the Northern Ireland Security Guard Service
AbbreviationNISGS
Agency overview
Formed1998
Employees400+
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction Northern Ireland, UK
Governing body Ministry of Defence
Operational structure
HeadquartersNISGS HQ, 38 Irish Brigade, Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn
Parent agencyMOD

The Northern Ireland Security Guard Service (NISGS) is a civilian organisation of the Ministry of Defence that provides armed security at military establishments in Northern Ireland. [1]

Contents

It was founded in 1998 following the Good Friday Agreement and is a unionised, non-industrial civilian security guard organisation under the authority of the General Officer Commanding (Northern Ireland), who holds ultimate responsibility for the operation of the organisation. [2] The NISGS works alongside the unarmed Ministry of Defence Guard Service (MGS). [3]

In the rest of the United Kingdom, armed security is the responsibility of the Military Provost Guard Service, made up of service personnel.

Civilian security officer - Armed

As a MOD Civil Servant, a NISGS Civilian Security Officer (CSO) is authorised to be armed when on duty in accordance with provisions within The Firearms (Northern Ireland) Order 2004 and the CDS Arming Directive.

Massereene Barracks incident

In 2009 CSOs at Massereene Barracks were criticised [4] [5] for not opening fire during an incident in which two British soldiers were killed when the barracks was attacked by members of the Irish republican paramilitary group, the Real IRA who were armed with AKM automatic rifles. [6] However the actions of the CSOs were praised by Brigadier George Norton, the Army's most senior soldier in Northern Ireland at the time. [7] Following the incident plans were made to retrain and rearm CSOs belonging to NISGS. [6] [8]

Uniform and equipment

NISGS CSOs wear a black coloured combat uniform, which includes trousers and smock and navy beret as well as black combat boots. The uniform looks very similar to that of army EOD personnel but with the notable differences being the NISGS capbadge and rankslides. The NISGS uniform is currently under review as of late 2021, the review will see the removal of the military style beret and replaced with a modern looking police style baseball cap. The principal reason for NISGS' creation after the Good Friday Agreement was to place the guarding of MOD premises in the Province on a primarily civilian footing with military backup, as in mainland UK. It was felt that establishing the Military Provost Guard Service (MPGS) in the Province would still be seen as an overtly "military" force.

Because the Crown is exempt from the provisions of the Firearms Acts, crown servants may carry firearms in the course of their duties if duly authorised to do so. Conversely, the MOD Guard Service are not authorised to carry firearms in Northern Ireland, as well as in Great Britain where the Military Provost Guard Service provides armed guarding. In addition to the Crown firearms exemption, attesting NISGS CSOs as Special Constables allows them to be armed on the same basis as PSNI Police Officers Part Time, the equivalent of mainland Special Constables.

As of Feb 2021 CSOs of the Northern Ireland Security Guard Service are no longer sworn in as Special Constables and all prior members of the security guard service have had their SC (Special Constable) status removed under a formal review from 38X Bde known as the NISGS Optimization Project. [9]

Firearms

Prior to the Masseerene Barracks incident NISGS CSOs were armed with the venerable L9A1 9mm Browning Hi-Power single-action automatic pistol, primarily and deliberately for self-defence. Following that incident and the recognition that the very short accurate range generally achievable with any pistol even under ideal conditions was a factor in not returning fire in that incident, NISGS CSOs were quickly re-armed with the L85A2 Individual Weapon. This is a 5.56 mm calibre selective fire assault rifle, generally referred to as the 'SA80', and was the current standard UK military issue personal weapon at the time.

These were readily available from MOD stocks as an interim solution but were accepted to be overly powerful for the NISGS armed guarding role because of the long lethal range (up to 500 metres (1,600 ft)) and short-range over-penetration of the ammunition, and the availability of fully automatic fire. In early 2012 an agreement was reached between MOD and PSNI to acquire surplus Heckler & Koch MP5 9mm submachine guns from PSNI to re-arm NISGS CSOs. These weapons with their less powerful and shorter-lethal-range 9mm Parabellum pistol ammunition, provides NISGS with a more appropriate firearm for their role.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Police Service of Northern Ireland</span> National police force of Northern Ireland

The Police Service of Northern Ireland, is the police service responsible for law enforcement and the prevention of crime within Northern Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Law enforcement in the United Kingdom</span> Police in the United Kingdom

Law enforcement in the United Kingdom is organised separately in each of the legal systems of the United Kingdom: England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Most law enforcement duties are carried out by those who hold the office of police constable of a territorial police force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Security police</span> Law enforcement agencies responsible for protecting specific properties

Security police usually describes a law enforcement agency which focuses primarily on providing security and law enforcement services to particular areas or specific properties. They may be employed by governmental, public, or private institutions. Security police are generally considered distinct from security guards as security police personnel typically hold some level of law enforcement authority. The exact powers held by security police vary widely between jurisdictions. Examples of these types of agencies include the U.S. FBI Police, the Indian Central Industrial Security Force, and the British Civil Nuclear Constabulary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Military Police</span> Military police of the British Army

The Royal Military Police (RMP) is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of army service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK and while service personnel are deployed overseas on operations and exercises. Members of the RMP are often known as 'Redcaps' because of the scarlet covers on their peaked caps and scarlet coloured berets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of Defence Guard Service</span>

The Ministry of Defence Guard Service (MGS) is part of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation of the Ministry of Defence, it provides Defence establishments across the United Kingdom with guarding and patrol services and was established as a response to the Deal Bombing. The Guard Service is one of the few remaining uniformed Civil Service agencies within the UK, and has been named an elite guarding service within the United Kingdom. They provide the highest level of security to Defence assets supporting critical Defence assets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Marines Police</span> Military unit

The Royal Marines Police, or Royal Marines Police Troop is the Royal Marines element of the Royal Navy Police and the military police arm of the Royal Marines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Authorised firearms officer</span> British police officer armed with a firearm

An authorised firearms officer (AFO) is a British police officer who is authorised and trained to carry and use firearms. The designation is significant because most police officers in the United Kingdom do not routinely carry firearms. The only forces where officers are routinely armed are the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Ministry of Defence Police, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, Belfast Harbour Police and the Belfast International Airport Constabulary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armed response vehicle</span> Type of a police car operated by police forces in the United Kingdom

An armed response vehicle (ARV) is a type of police car operated by police forces in the United Kingdom. ARVs are crewed by authorised firearms officers (AFOs) to respond to incidents believed to involve firearms or other high-risk situations. ARVs are specially adapted and modified to accommodate specialist equipment.

A firearms unit is an armed unit within each territorial police force in the United Kingdom. For the most part, the police forces of the United Kingdom are unarmed; however, all have firearms units to provide the police force with the capability to deal with armed criminals. A police officer cannot apply to join the firearms unit without first finishing their two-year probationary period, with a further two years in a core policing role for some forces. Firearms unit is the most common name outside of the capital, while that of London's Metropolitan Police Service is called the Specialist Firearms Command, Trojan, or SCO19. Within the media, it is sometimes compared to the SWAT units of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belfast Harbour Police</span> Law enforcement agency

The Belfast Harbour Police is a small, specialised ports police force, with responsibility for the Port of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1847, making it the oldest continuously-operating law enforcement agency on the island of Ireland.

Police uniforms and equipment in the United Kingdom vary enormously per force or service, and different uniforms and equipment is used for different situations. Both what is worn and what is carried have varied considerably from the inception of the earliest recognisable mainstream police services in the early 19th century. As various laws in the mid-19th century standardised policing in the United Kingdom, so too were uniforms and equipment. From a variety of home grown uniforms, bicycles, swords and pistols the British police force evolved in look and equipment through the long coats and top hat, to the recognisable modern uniform of a white shirt, black tie, reflective jackets, body armour, and the battenburg-marked vehicles, to the present-day Airwave Solutions radios, electric vehicles and tasers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military Provost Guard Service</span> Armed guarding force within the British Army

The Military Provost Guard Service (MPGS) is responsible for maintaining physical security at British Armed Forces locations throughout Great Britain. It is one of three constituent units of the Adjutant General's Corps Provost Branch. The Provost branch is the responsibility of the Provost Marshal who is a Brigadier from the Royal Military Police. The MPGS also works alongside the unarmed Ministry of Defence Guard Service (MGS). In Northern Ireland, armed security at Ministry of Defence establishments is provided by the uniformed civilian Northern Ireland Security Guard Service in a similar manner to that of the MPGS in Great Britain.

This is a description of law enforcement in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Before the Republic left the union in 1922, one police force — the Royal Irish Constabulary — policed almost the whole island.

In the United Kingdom police firearm policy varies by constituent countries. In Northern Ireland, all police officers carry firearms whereas in the rest of the United Kingdom, firearms are carried only by specially-trained firearms officers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Headquarters Mobile Support Unit</span> Police tactical unit in Northern Ireland

The Headquarters Mobile Support Unit is the police tactical unit of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. The HMSU was originally formed in the then Royal Ulster Constabulary part of Special Branch and was involved in several controversial shootings during The Troubles.

The Massereene Barracks shooting took place at Massereene Barracks in Antrim, Northern Ireland. On 7 March 2009, two off-duty British soldiers of the 38 Engineer Regiment were shot dead outside the barracks. Two other soldiers and two civilian delivery men were also shot and wounded during the attack. A dissident Irish republican paramilitary group, the Real IRA, claimed responsibility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special constable</span> Auxiliary or specialized law enforcement officer

A special constable or special police constable can refer to an auxiliary or part-time law enforcement officer or a person who is granted certain (special) police powers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of Defence Police</span> Civilian police force of the United Kingdoms Ministry of Defence

The Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) is a civilian special police force which is part of the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence. The MDP's primary responsibilities are to provide armed security and counter terrorism services to designated high-risk areas, as well as uniformed policing and limited investigative services to Ministry of Defence property, personnel, and installations throughout the United Kingdom. The MDP are not military police. Service personnel often refer to the MDP by the nickname "MOD plod".

References

  1. ↑ "Northern Ireland Security Guard Service: 13 Mar 2009: Hansard Written Answers and Statements". TheyWorkForYou. Archived from the original on 27 September 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
  2. ↑ "The state of the Union - Brendan O'Neill". Archived from the original on 10 July 2012. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
  3. ↑ MOD Guard Service Archived 26 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine , GOV.UK. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  4. ↑ Bingham, John (10 March 2009). "Northern Ireland barracks guards not up to job – Patrick Mercer". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 17 May 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
  5. ↑ Bowcott, Owen (9 March 2009). "Brigadier George Norton defends security levels and guards' response to Real IRA attack". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 16 April 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
  6. 1 2 Rayment, Sean (14 March 2009). "Murdered soldiers' bodies flown home from Northern Ireland without ceremony". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 17 May 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
  7. ↑ "BBC NEWS Northern Ireland - MPs to review NI barrack security". BBC News. 11 March 2009. Archived from the original on 18 March 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
  8. ↑ "Review into civilian guards in N.Ireland". Defence Management. Archived from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
  9. ↑ "REMOVAL OF SPECIAL CONSTABLE (SC) STATUS FROM THE NORTHERN IRELAND SECURITY GUARD SERVICE (NISGS)" (PDF).
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.