Public Order and Riot Squad

Public Order and Riot Squad
Public Order and Riot Squad vehicle
Active	2005 - Present
Country	Australia
Type	Law Enforcement, Riot control
Role	Law Enforcement
Size	100 full-time officers
Nickname(s)	PORS
Engagements	APEC Australia 2007, World Youth Day 2008, 2012 Sydney anti-Islam film protests
Commanders
Current commander	Chief Superintendent Steve Cullen

The Public Order and Riot Squad (PORS) is the full-time 'riot squad' of the New South Wales Police Force. PORS is within the command of Field Operations under the Major Events and Incidents Group (MEIG) which is responsible for planning for major events such as Operation Vikings, APEC, the World Youth Day and New Year's Eve celebrations.

The New South Wales Police Force Public Order and Riot Squad (PORS) is a full-time riot squad created in September 2005 becoming operational in January 2006 within the Major Events and Incidents Group Command. PORS was created as a result of Parliamentary reports into the response and handling of riots in Redfern (February 2004) and Macquarie Fields (February 2005) where command and control and resources were criticized and found to be lacking/uncoordinated. PORS is essentially the re-creation of the defunct Tactical Response Group of the 1980s except for some differences in charter and organisation. They are supplemented by statewide-based part-time Operations Support Group units.

In 2009 the squad was featured in an episode of 60 Minutes titled "Brute Force" showing officers in action across Sydney.

PORS are issued with a wide variety of specialised crowd control and riot equipment including Taser weapons and fully equipped black vans and black 4WDs to allow rapid deployment across the State at a moments notice. The vans allow a team in full tactical/riot gear to deploy on the move and access equipment as needed quickly, without need to return to a station to access gear as the part-time Public Order and Operations Support Group (OSG) officers do. PORS also have a $600,000 water cannon truck which is fitted with an airtight cabin to protect police from smoke, gas and other irritants. It also has shatterproof "anti-bandit glass" reinforced with wire mesh, and a heavy push bar allowing it to clear barricades and other obstacles. The high pressure 12,000 litre water cannon is able to shoot a stream of water more than 50 metres.

Each officer is equipped with more than $8500 in gear including flameproof overalls, bulletproof vest, ballistic goggles, arm and leg guards, capsicum spray, an Asp baton, long baton, utility knife, handcuffs and cable tie flex-cuffs and also rubber bullets which are stored in station and their cars.