Police Tactical Unit (Singapore)
Coordinates: 1°17′42.41″N 103°48′01.76″E / 1.2951139°N 103.8004889°E
The Police Tactical Unit (PTU) is a paramilitary specialist unit of the Singapore Police Force and comes under the direct command of the Special Operations Command. Based in Queenstown, it is the main anti-rioting and disaster-management unit of the police force. They are also called upon to handle cases of serious crime in progress, particularly cases involving firearms. From 2004, PTU officers also presented greater public prominence when they conducted patrols in public areas, such as at Orchard Road, Holland Village and Serangoon Gardens Estate, partly as a response to greater terrorism concerns.
The PTU traces its history back to the early 1950s whereby the Maria Hertogh riots demonstrated the incapability of existing law enforcement measures in containing situations of mass rioting and other disturbances to public peace. Hence in 1952, the first Riot Squad was formed with 60 junior officers deliberately chosen from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds, and who have been screened to ensure no relations to any political party or faction. These officers underwent rigorous (military) training conducted by Colonel J.F. Fairbairn, who was formerly the Assistant Commissioner of the Shanghai Municipal Police Armed Reserve.
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