State Protection Group

State Protection Group
Abbreviation	SPG
Logo of the State Protection Group
Motto	Stamus Una (English: We Stand As One)
Agency overview
Formed	1991; 26 years ago (1991)
Legal personality	Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
General nature	Law enforcement Civilian police
Specialist jurisdiction	Counter terrorism, special weapons and tactics, protection of VIPs.
Operational structure
Headquarters	Sydney
Parent agency	New South Wales Police Force
Notables Person John Stapleton, current commander Significant engagements 1993 Cangai siege 1994 Ivan Milat arrest 1997 Thredbo landslide 2000 Sydney Olympics 2003 Rugby World Cup APEC Australia 2007 World Youth Day 2008 2009 arrest of Anthony 'Badness' Perish 2014 Sydney hostage crisis

1993 Cangai siege

The State Protection Group (SPG) is part of the Specialist Operations division of the New South Wales Police Force, having been established in 1991 to deal with extraordinary policing responses. The SPG directly supports police in high-risk incidents such as sieges with specialised tactical, negotiation, intelligence and command-support services. The unit also provides rescue and bomb disposal support, canine policing, and armoury services.

Established in June 1991, the State Protection Group replaced four former specialist units; the Special Weapons and Operations Section (SWOS), the Witness Security Unit, regional Tactical Response Groups and the Police Rescue Squad. Later other sections were also added to the command including the Police Armoury, Negotiation section, Bomb disposal and Dog Unit. In recent years the Witness Security Unit was moved from the State Protection Group to the Anti Terrorism & Security Group.

"To provide extraordinary services to operational police in rescue, bomb disposal, high risk resolution, negotiation, specialised dog unit and Armoury services."

The SPG currently consists of the following sections:

Since 1978, the Australian Government's National Anti-Terrorism Plan has required each state police force to maintain a specialist counter-terrorist and hostage-rescue unit (Police Tactical Group, aka SWAT team). The unit that now fulfills that role, the Tactical Operations Unit, has undergone a number of changes over the years.

Since 1945 the New South Wales Police Force has maintained a team of tactical police available for specialist operations with the creation of the 'Riot Squad' which consisted of a number detectives from '21 Division' to counter the number of armed hold ups that occurred after World War II. Over the following years it became known as the 'Emergency Squad' and in 1977 had its name changed to the 'Special Weapons and Operations Squad' (SWOS) with its size and role expanding, including a full-time complement of 27 officers and 400 part-time officers across the State.

In 1982 the Tactical Response Group (TRG) was created with units divided into groups of 25 officers across the four metropolitan regions with a primary role of responding to riots, demonstrations, disasters, saturation patrols and to support SWOS at emergency hostage/siege situations. TRG officers were mainly drawn from the ranks general duties police whereas SWOS were drawn from Detectives sections and branches.