Operational Response Group

Last updated

Operational Response Group
Active2005–2012
CountryAustralia
Branch Australian Federal Police
Type Police tactical unit
Role Counter-terrorism
Law enforcement
Size200+ full-time Officers
Part ofInternational Deployment Group
Garrison/HQCanberra City ACT (HQ), Brisbane Queensland (FOB)
Nickname(s)ORG
Engagements RAMSI, Black Saturday bushfires
Commanders
Current
commander		Commissioner Tony Negus

The Operational Response Group (ORG) was a former police tactical group of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) part of the AFP's International Deployment Group (IDG) that was established in 2005 to support the AFP in variety of national and international special policing operations. [1] [2] In July 2012, the ORG was merged with the AFP's Specialist Response and Security team (SRS) to create the Specialist Response Group. [3]

Contents

History

In January 2005 Australian Federal Police created what was then known as the Operational Response Team (ORT), a unit of specialist tactical police able to respond and assist AFP officers engaged in overseas deployments as part of the International Deployment Groups response to the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands, Honiara. The ORT was soon expanded to fulfill further AFP domestic and international operations and included new roles (such as public order), and was renamed the Operational Response Group in 2006.

Mission

The Operational Response Group was AFP's permanent specialist tactical and stability and the policing capability able to rapidly respond to civil disorder and international crisis, both nationally and internationally within 24 hours. [4]

The Operational Response Group was defined as a police tactical group within the National Counter-Terrorism Committee arrangements providing the Commonwealth of Australia an offshore specialist and tactical policing response capability. [5] The unit provided similar capabilities to the AFP's Specialist Response and Security Team but focused on national and international deployments outside of the Australian Capital Territory, where the SRS had responsibility. The ORG was created to enhance the operational policing capabilities of the AFP's International Deployment Group (IDG) operating predominantly in the Pacific region.

Organisation

The ORG consisted of a number of specialist sub-units including: [6]

Principal role

The ORG provided the AFP with a specialist tactical policing capability which included the following roles, : [7] [8]

Deployments

Overseas

Within Australia

[21]

Unit Closure

On 1 July 2012 the ORG merged with the ACT based Specialist Response and Security to create a single federal tactical, public order and bomb response unit known as the Specialist Response Group (SRG). The merger was designed to reduce the duplication between AFP and ACT Policing specialist units and centralise AFP assets under one command in Canberra. The SRG became operational on 1 July 2012 and it now contains various capabilities including tactical teams, public order (riot team), bomb response, K9 and police negotiators. [22]

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References

  1. ↑ "Operational Response Group (ORG): Timor-Leste — The Nautilus Institute". Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  2. ↑ "Annual Report 2007-08" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 July 2009. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  3. ↑ "Specialist Response Group – Australian Federal Police". Afp.gov.au. 1 July 2012. Archived from the original on 9 October 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  4. ↑ Archived July 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 March 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ↑ "Operational Response Group – Australian Federal Police". Archived from the original on 4 December 2010. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  7. 1 2 Archived October 20, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ "policing/international-deployment-group/~/media/afp/pdf/i/idg-org-factsheet". afp.gov.au. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  9. ↑ AFP Annual Report 2010, pg 101
  10. ↑ "Operational Response Group in Solomon Islands | Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability". Nautilus.org. 17 January 2012. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  11. ↑ Charles Prestidge-King (30 November 2010). "Solomons police arrest 37 during riots". News.smh.com.au. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  12. ↑ "AFP personnel in Timor-Leste | Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability". Nautilus.org. 19 December 2011. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  13. ↑ "Operational Response Group (ORG) in Tonga | Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability". Nautilus.org. 17 January 2012. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  14. ↑ "~/media/afp/pdf/t/tongan-riots-pgs-3-6". afp.gov.au. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  15. 1 2 http://www.globalcollab.org/Nautilus/australia/australia-in-east-timor/operational-response-group-org-timor-leste%5B%5D
  16. ↑ "1_AFPHistory_FebruaryILOD" (PDF). www.inthelineofduty.com.au. Retrieved 25 December 2017.[ permanent dead link ]
  17. ↑ "2009 VBRC – Final Report". royalcommission.vic.gov.au. Archived from the original on 26 March 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  18. ↑ "Christmas Island centre scaled down after riots | the Australian". Archived from the original on 7 June 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  19. ↑ AFP Annual Report p. 37 & 45
  20. ↑ "media-centre/publications/platypus/~/media/afp/pdf/p/platypus109". afp.gov.au. Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  21. ↑ AFP Annual Report p. 36
  22. ↑ Elite police super group http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/elite-police-super-group-20120202-1t8fa.html Archived 3 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine
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