| Specialist Protective Services | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1 July 2012 – present [1] |
| Country | Australia |
| Agency | Australian Federal Police |
| Role | |
| Operations jurisdiction |
|
| Headquarters | Canberra |
| Abbreviation | SPS |
| Structure | |
| Sworn members | Approx. 200 [2] |
| Notables | |
| Significant operation(s) | |
The Specialist Protective Services (SPS) (formerly Specialist Response Group (SRG)) is a highly trained police unit of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) consisting of a range of teams capable of deploying at short notice in order to undertake a variety of specialist policing tasks. SPS predominantly consist of sworn police officers, based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (ACT), who are capable of resolving high risk planned and emergency policing operations; both domestically and internationally. [6] [7] [8]
The SPS is a police tactical group as defined under the Australian and New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee (ANZCTC) arrangements. SPS commenced operations in July 2012 under the name Specialist Response Group as a result of the merging of the Specialist Response and Security Team (SRS) (from ACT Policing) and the Operational Response Group (ORG) from AFP's International Deployment Group. The SRG became the largest centralised specialist policing capability in Australia, with almost 200 personnel. [2]
In 2020, the AFP conducted a review of their organisational structure and operating model and subsequently established the Specialist Protection Command on 1 July 2020. [9] [10] The AFP reported in a 2019-20 annual report that the SRG had been renamed as Specialist Protective Services. [11]
AFP has had charge of local ACT Policing since 1979, and established a full-time tactical unit then known as the Special Operations Team (SOT) replacing the previous part-time group known as the Armed Offenders Squad (AOS). [12] [13] In 2002 SOT was reorganized and renamed as the Specialist Response and Security team (SRS). [5] Initially, SRS had responsibility for ACT Policing only, with it soon became apparent that the wider AFP required tactical operators of their own for both national investigations and International Deployment Group operations.
In January 2005, AFP created what was then known as the Operational Response Team (ORT), a small team of specialist tactical police able to respond and assist AFP officers engaged in the International Deployment Group's response to the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), Solomon Islands.
The ORT was soon expanded to fulfil further AFP domestic and international operations and included new roles (such as public order), and was renamed the Operational Response Group (ORG) in 2006. As part of the expansion, a forward base was opened in Brisbane, Queensland, and an Aviation Support Unit was opened in Melbourne, Victoria. [14]
AFP conducted reviews (Leahy and Beale reviews) which recommended that SRS and ORG be merged in order to reduce duplication of efforts, and to centralise AFP tactical/specialist resources under a single command in Canberra, in order to improve efficiencies and effectiveness. [7] Both Brisbane and Melbourne ORG offices were re-located to Canberra [14] in preparation for the merger, with the Specialist Response Group becoming operational in Canberra on 1 July 2012. Specialist Response Group was renamed to Specialist Protective Services around 2019 or 2020. [11]
The SPS provides the AFP with highly trained operational specialist teams capable of rapidly deploying either domestically or internationally in order to solve a variety of medium and high-risk planned and emergency incidents. It can deploy and provide critical assistance to regional neighbours in times of crisis, and assist with the restoration of law and order, rapid disaster response assistance, and capacity-building initiatives. [2]
SPS provides resources to three distinct areas namely:
As SPS are significantly larger than each of its predecessors (SRS and ORG), there is increased flexibility for AFP command to provide greater resources to particular operations or incidents while maintaining other core roles and permanent deployments. [15]
The SPS is capable of conducting a variety of operations throughout Australia and overseas including: [1]
SPS provides the only full-time local tactical and public order specialist policing for Australian Capital Territory (i.e. ACT Policing) and SPS can also provide specialist support to other state and territory police jurisdictions when required.
Although a sub-unit of AFP's International Deployment Group, SPS report to a committee consisting of both IDG and ACT Policing executive.[ citation needed ] Although all SPS operators are sworn police officers, there are a number of unsworn support and training personnel within the organisation who play critical roles.[ citation needed ]
The primary operational components of SPS are Specialist Response, Tactical Response and Targeted Operations, and they are supported by Specialist Policing Command and Coordination. [7]
A variety of domestic (AFP National Operations) and international (Asia-Pacific region) deployments were made by the predecessor organisation, Operational Response Group. SPS still maintains a permanent presence based in Honiara, Solomon Islands as part of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI). The other predecessor organisation Specialist Response and Security team undertook a range of operations supporting ACT Policing (community policing), in addition to some national operations and support to RAMSI.
Then SRG Divers took part in the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue in Thailand working with the Royal Thai Navy and international responders. [20]
All SPS operators are required to maintain advanced first-aid skills. However, because TR, MR and TO operators often operate in remote and isolated operational environments within Australia and overseas, selected operators are crossed trained as Police Medics.
SPS medic training necessitates successful completion of a variety of course modules including basic and advanced life support, trauma care, emergency medication administration, medical evacuation and extended care in remote and austere environments. [21]
Potential operators must have a minimum of two years of contemporary sworn policing experience before undertaking a series of psychological, psychometric and physical fitness testing. [7] Applicants must also complete an integrity assessment, security clearance, panel interview and a medical examination. [22] Once barrier gateways are met, potential members undertake a physically demanding and arduous TR or TO selection course. On successful completion of the relevant selection course and receiving a recommendation, potential operators are then able to commence either the TR or TO basic (operator) course. On successful completion of either the TR or TO basic course, trainees are then admitted into SRG.
Other SPS areas such as BRT and police divers have separate selection, assessment and training courses.
SPS does not publicise information on weapon platforms or other equipment utilised by their operators, but they are known to utilise a wide variety of specialist weapons and munitions. The AFP utilises variants of the Glock pistol and are known to use the Heckler & Koch G36 5.56mm rifle. [23]
SPS use less lethal (extended range impact and chemical) weapons and munitions [24] [25] such as the Bean bag round. [26] AFP Tactical operators have used the Taser conducted energy weapon since 2004. [27]
SPS uses an armoured police rescue vehicle (Lenco BearCat) for particular police operations. [28]
In undertaking bomb tasks, SPS's BRT use a number of robotic platforms, an explosives containment chamber and two types of explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) suits. [29]
GSG 9 der Bundespolizei, formerly Grenzschutzgruppe 9, is the police tactical unit of the German Federal Police (Bundespolizei). The state police (Landespolizei) maintain their own tactical units known as the Spezialeinsatzkommando (SEK). The identities of GSG 9 members are classified.
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The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is the national and principal federal law enforcement agency of the Australian Government with the unique role of investigating crime and protecting the national security of the Commonwealth of Australia. The AFP is an independent agency of the Attorney-General's Department and is responsible to the Attorney-General and accountable to the Parliament of Australia. As of October 2019 the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police is Reece Kershaw, formerly the Northern Territory Police Commissioner.
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The Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG) is a division of the Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. CIRG enables the FBI to rapidly respond to, and effectively manage, special crisis incidents in the United States.
ACT Policing is the portfolio of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) responsible for providing policing services to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The Australian Capital Territory Police was an independent police force responsible for policing the ACT until 19 October 1979, when it was merged with the Commonwealth Police to form the AFP.
The Australian Protective Service (APS) was an Australian Commonwealth law enforcement agency which existed between October 1984 and June 2004. The APS was created by the separation of the Uniformed Protective Service component of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) into a new agency based upon recommendations contained in the Stewart Royal Commission of Inquiry into Drug Trafficking. It was initially responsible for protecting personnel and property of the Australian government; foreign diplomatic missions in both Australia and overseas, Internationally Protected Persons (IPPs); and the provision of custodial services at immigration detention centres. The APS provided a uniformed protection presence at most sensitive government establishments through either a permanent guarding presence or mobile patrol and alarm response function.
Special Tasks and Rescue Group is the Police Tactical Group of the South Australia Police.
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The special forces of the Australian Defence Force are units of Special Operations Command and associated units of the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force that conduct and or support special operations to advance and protect the national security of the Commonwealth of Australia. The special forces of Australia have a lineage to a variety of units raised in the Second World War such as the Independent and Commando Companies, Z Special Unit, Navy Beach Commandos, and the Coastwatchers. Australian special forces have most recently been deployed to Iraq in Operation Okra as the Special Operations Task Group, as the Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan, in Afghanistan in support of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service and regularly for counter-terrorism pre-deploy to locations of major domestic events throughout Australia in readiness to support law enforcement such as the 2014 G20 Brisbane summit.
A Police Support Unit or PSU is a unit of police officers who have undergone specialist tactical training in Public Order and Riot Control.
Until July 2012 the Specialist Response and Security Team (SRS) was a Police Tactical Group of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) having responsibility for tactical and specialist operations within the Australian Capital Territory. The Operational Response Group (ORG) had responsibility for AFP National and International tactical operations. In July 2012 the SRS was merged with the ORG to create the Specialist Response Group.
Police tactical group (PTG) is the generic term used to refer to highly trained Australian and New Zealand police tactical units that tactically manage and resolves high-risk incidents, including sieges, armed offender situations and terrorist incidents.
National Counter-Terrorism Exercises involve the Australian Federal Government and all States and Territories designed to test Australia's counter-terrorism response arrangements. Australia's national counter-terrorism arrangements are well practised with major exercises held annually. The Department of Home Affairs manages the Counter-Terrorism Capability Branch in the Centre for Counter-Terrorism Coordination which supports the Australia-New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee (ANZCTC) who run the exercise program. The exercise was formerly named National Anti-Terrorism Exercise (NATEX).
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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. In July 2012, the ORG was merged with the AFP's Specialist Response and Security team (SRS) to create the Specialist Response Group.
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