Riot Police Unit

Riot specialists of the TMPD
Yamaguchi Prefecture riot specialists jams a simulated terrorist into a wall of riot shields with a Sasumata.

Riot Police Units (機動隊 Kidō-tai) are riot police forces and general reserve of the prefectural polices of the Japan. These units were formed to respond quickly and effectively to large public disturbances, disaster relief, or other emergency situations, so they are the core of security forces for crisis management of the Japanese police.[1]

Background

In the pre-war era, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD) established the Special Security Unit (特別警備隊 Tokubetsu-keibi-tai) as the emergency service unit. In wartime, in conjunction with other prefectures, this unit was modified in the Security Unit (警備隊 Keibi-tai) but inactivated in 1946. [2]

After a while, the Guard Unit (防護隊 Bougo-tai) was created for the same role, and in 1948, this unit was reinforced to the Police Reserve Units (予備隊 Yobi-tai).[2] These civilian police corps worked as a rapid reaction force to maintain public order against large-scale violence or other incidents, and in 1957, renamed to its current name, Riot Police Units. Until 1962, all prefectural police headquarters had the same kind of units. [3]

Organization

Riot police units compose the main strength of the Security Bureau (警備部 Keibi-bu) of the prefectural police headquarters. Most headquarters have only one unit, but some urban police have multiplex units. For example, there are ten units (nine ordinary units and one Special Vehicle Unit) in the TMPD.[4]

Functional components

Anti-firearms squad
The TMPD officers rescuing child during the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake relief mission.

Basically, the equipment of the riot specialists is also the same as the regular police officers except those for a riot control operation such as protect gears. But within the Riot Police Units, there are certain squads with specific equipment and training.

Anti-firearms squads (銃器対策部隊 Juuki-taisaku-butai)
As a response to the Kin Kiro Incident, the NPA requested the establishment of sniper teams for each police headquarters in 1969, and until 1973, all prefectural police headquarters had these kind of teams as a part of the Riot Police Units. [5] In 2002, these teams were reinforced to current organization, Anti-firearms squads, to be local counter-terrorism squads cooperating with the national-level Special Assault Teams. Now they are equipped with Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine guns and Howa M1500 sniper rifles.[6]
Ranger squads
In 1970, the TMPD established a ranger squad in their 7th Riot Police Unit. Primary mission of this squad was search and rescue, but with their superior mountaineering skills, they also attend to hostage rescue missions such as Asama-Sansō incident. Then, in 2001, this squad was enhanced to four squads. Two of them are the Mountain rescue ranger squads, and rest of them are the "Anti-firearms ranger squads", the intermediate counter-terrorism squads between the Anti-firearms squads and the Special Assault Teams.
Counter-NBC terrorism squads
Chemical, biological and nuclear defense squads. In some police headquarters, they has been enhanced as an independent unit.[3]
EOD squads
Bomb disposal squads.[3]

Reserves

Full-time riot police units can also be augmented by auxiliary riot police units with regular police trained in riot duties. There are two types of auxiliary riot police units:

Second-tier Riot Police Units (第二機動隊 Dai-Ni-Kidō-tai)
These units are operated as a reserve duty troops under control of each prefectural police headquarters. In the TMPD, these kind of units are referred to as the Special Riot Police Units (特別機動隊 Tokubetsu-Kidō-tai).[4]
Regional Riot Police Units (管区機動隊 Kanku-Kidō-tai)
These units are under control of Regional Police Bureaus of the NPA for regional operations.[3]

References

  1. ↑ National Police Agency (2015). "POLICE OF JAPAN 2015" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-04-10.
  2. 1 2 100th anniversary event Steering Committee, ed. (1974). History of the Metropolitan Police Department hundred years (in Japanese). Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. p. 205.
  3. 1 2 3 4 National Police Agency, ed. (2004). "The Riot Police Units". Fifty years of the peace preservation police (in Japanese).
  4. 1 2 Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. "Introduction of each Riot Police Units" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  5. ↑ National Police Agency Police History Compilation Committee, ed. (1977). Japan post-war police history (in Japanese). Japan Police Support Association. pp. 520–522.
  6. ↑ Masatsugu Otsuka (January 2009). "Guns of the Japanese police". Strike And Tactical Magazine (in Japanese) (KAMADO): 50–57.

See also

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