Specialist Response and Security
| Specialist Response and Security Team | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1978 - 2012 |
| Country |
 Australia |
| Branch | Australian Federal Police |
| Role | Law Enforcement, Domestic Counter-Terrorism and Tactical Law Enforcement |
| Size | 36 full-time Officers [1] |
| Part of | Australian Federal Police |
| Garrison/HQ | Canberra City ACT |
| Nickname(s) | SRS |
| Engagements |
Pong Su incident [2] 2003 Canberra bushfires[3] Operation Linnet 1993 Jolimont Centre siege |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Detective Superintendent Rob Gilliland |
Until July 2012 the Specialist Response and Security Team (SRS) was a Police Tactical Group of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) having responsibility for tactical and specialist operations within the Australian Capital Territory. The Operational Response Group (ORG) had responsibility for AFP National and International tactical operations. In July 2012 the SRS was merged with the ORG to create the Specialist Response Group.
The SRS formed part of the Australian Government's National Anti-Terrorism Plan which required each State/Territory Police Force to maintain a specialist counter-terrorist and hostage rescue unit with specialist capabilities. The SRS fulfilled that role within the Australian Capital Territory, until the formation of the SRG.
In 1964 the AFP created the "Armed Offenders Squad" after officers attended a New South Wales Police Force "Emergency Squad" training course. This unit was under the control of Detectives and worked on a part-time as needed basis. As a result of SACPAV recommendations after the 1978 Sydney Hilton bombing several members of the Army's elite Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) were employed as Commonwealth Police in order to create the "Commonwealth Police Counter Terrorist Operations Section" which was dissolved in 1981 after the CHOGM meeting held in Melbourne. In 1983, the "Special Operations Team" (SOT) was formed. In 2002, following 9/11 the SOT underwent significant changes. In March 2003, the SOT was renamed to the Specialist Response and Security section.
In October 1998, the SOT participated in Operation Linnet, a land and sea operation off Port Macquarie that resulted in the seizure of 390kg of heroin. The SOT boarded the Belize-registered freighter Uniana suspected of smuggling the heroin to Australia from south-east Asia.
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Wikipedia