Special Tasks and Rescue

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Special Tasks and Rescue (STAR) is the Police Tactical Group of the South Australia Police.

STAR Group tactical uniform breast patch

1 History
2 Mission
3 Principle roles
4 Sections
5 See also
6 External link

[edit] History

Formed on 30 November 1978 the South Australian Police STAR Group was a rationalisation of speacialist resources into one command/unit. Specialist units had existed prior to 1978 within SAPol to deal with emergency situations such as sieges and armed offenders situations.

As in other states, SAPol decided that it would be more practical and expedient to combine all the skills of various tactical/special units in one unit and to have specialist personnel on duty or available on call, at all times to deal with emergencies.

Further restructuring in 1994 saw STAR Group expand its role to include Water Police and the Coordination of Negotiators.

[edit] Mission

STAR Group tactical officers at a siege

STAR Group is designed to handle problems and situations which require more concentrated attention than can normally be provided by the General Patrol Police and/or which call for tactics which cannot be used by patrol members in uniform.

The unit consists of highly trained personnel skilled in the use of firearms, counter-terrorist tactics, crowd control, crime prevention techniques, underwater recovery, water policing, Close Personal Protection and search and rescue operations. Thus there is available at all times a mobile patrol force to assist other line units in emergencies of any kind, and to act as a support force in crime control operations.