Police Support Unit (UK)

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A Police Support Unit or PSU is a group of police officers working in a section or serial with specialist training and skills in public order duties and offences. This can include policing football supporters, protesters and rioters. Public Order Training can also be known as MAST (Mutual Aid Standard Tactics).

A PSU usually consists of police Constables from across various departments, who carry out a range of functions, their PSU work is not normally a full time underaking but threre are dedicated full time units available at short notice.

A PSU consists of:

Contents

[edit] PSU grades

All officers will be trained to the common minimum standards as defined in the ACPO Public Order Tactical Trainers Manual.[1] The grades are dependent on the training that the officer has received.[2]

  • Level 1 - these officers (normally full time PSU) receive regular training which can be every five weeks receiving training in shield tactics, violent person, petrol bombing and training in house entry and search. All public order officers need to be fit; a Level 1 officer must be able to run 1000 metres, dressed in full protective equipment whilst carrying a long shield, in under 6 minutes.
  • Level 2 - These officers are drawn from Boroughs, Divisions or Areas and some specialist units; they receive the same training as Level 1 officers but only attend twice a year for two days (or in some forces a 3 day course every 12 months). Level 2 officers must be able to run 500 metres dressed in full protective equipment whilst carrying a long shield in under 2 mins 45 secs. If an officer fails any of the runs they are returned to their Borough/Division/Area without receiving training or qualification. The Long shields these officers must carry are 5'6" tall, 1'11" wide and weigh 17lbs.
  • Level 3 - All other police officers are classed as being level 3 trained, this they will have received in their last week at training school, their training includes all foot duty cordons, and mounted branch deployments.

[edit] Full-time PSU

Most police forces maintain full-time PSU sections whose role is to provide a wide range of specialist services in addition to high visibility core policing.

As well as PSU they (full time units) may be called, dependent on the police force:

[edit] Core functions

The core functions of the support unit, dependent on the police force or service are:

  • Apprehension of violent/deranged people
  • Security/VIP searches
  • Military convoy escort
  • Prisoner escorts
  • Searches for missing people/evidence
  • Public order training
  • Public order response
  • Method of entry (MOE) or Door breaching
  • Public order instructors/ tactical advisors
  • Security in relation to the Terrorism Act 2000
  • Initial response to suspect explosive devices
  • Police search advisors and co-ordinators
  • Missing person search managers
  • chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) response
  • Pool of authorised firearm officers
  • High profile, proactive, intelligence-led patrols
  • Roped access and confined-space search teams
  • Body Recovery teams

[edit] Other PSU elements

[edit] Special Constabulary

Main article: Special Constabulary

As with their full-time counterparts, many Special Constables are trained in public order duties, including policing of football matches and demonstrations. In West Yorkshire Police, 24 Specials have received Level 2 PSU - Police Support Unit training, and have become part of the 'Operation Target' team.[3] PSU Level 2 training is also available to Special Constables of the British Transport Police.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Kent Police M07 Public Order - Policy (accessed 05.01.06)
  2. ^ Metropolitan Police - Public Order Training (accessed 05.01.07)
  3. ^ Specials magazine (Published om behalf of the Home Office) Autumn 2005

[edit] External links


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Police forces in the United Kingdom
England
Scotland
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Special Police Forces