Police tactical unit

A Police Tactical Unit (PTU) is a highly trained police unit that responds to and resolves high-risk incidents, including terrorist incidents. Police tactical units can be part of a:

In the United States, police tactical units are known by the generic term Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) team. In Australia, police tactical units are formally known as a police tactical group. The European Union uses the term Special Intervention Unit to define national counter terrorist police tactical units.

Police tactical units have similarities to military special forces / special operations forces units such as organisation, selection, training, equipment, and operational methodologies. For "certain counter terrorism operations, such as hostage rescue, there is a significant convergence of roles, tactics and force when employed in either an armed conflict or policing role". Aside from counter-terrorism hostage rescue, the roles of police and military units differ in that the role of military units can result in the use of the maximum permissible force against enemy combatants while the role of police units is to use only minimal force sufficient to subdue suspected criminals, including negotiation.

Another key difference between the two types of unit is that Police Tactical Units are law enforcement units, and as such operate under the control and supervision of their country's administrative and judiciary systems. Most of their actions end up with a court appearance.

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