List of Special Response Units

• Security
  Security
  Security is the degree of protection against danger, loss, and criminals.Security has to be compared and contrasted with other related concepts: Safety, continuity, reliability...
  
   of the state, state officials and foreign dignitaries
• Offensive domestic counter-terrorist actions
  Counter-terrorism
  Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed....
  
  
• Serving high-risk arrest warrants
  Arrest warrant
  An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by and on behalf of the state, which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual.-Canada:Arrest warrants are issued by a judge or justice of the peace under section 83.29 of the Criminal Code of Canada...
  
  
• Performing hostage rescue and/or armed intervention
• Engaging heavily-armed criminals

Argentina

• Policía Federal Argentina (Argentine Federal Police) - Grupo Especial de Operaciones Federales (Federal Special Operations Group)
• Policía de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (Buenos Aires Provincial Police) - Brigada Especial Operativa Halcón
  Brigada Especial Operativa Halcón
  The Brigada Especial Operativa Halcón is a special operations division of the Buenos Aires Police in Argentina....
  
  (Hawk Special Operations Brigade)

Australia

• Australian Federal Police - Specialist Response and Security Team
  Specialist Response and Security
  The Specialist Response and Security Team is the Special Operations and Police Tactical Group of the the Australian Federal Police having responsibility for the Australian Capital Territory...
  
  
• New South Wales Police Force - State Protection Group
  State Protection Group
  The State Protection Group 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,...
  
  
• New South Wales Department of Corrective Services - Hostage Response Group
  Hostage Response Group
  The Hostage Response Group is the tactical and special operations unit of the New South Wales Department of Corrective Services.Corrective Services facilities have their own Immediate Action Teams , and larger 'on-call' Regional Security Units and the K9 units for major disturbances.The roles of...
  
  
• Northern Territory Police - Territory Response Group
  Territory Response Group
  The Territory Response Group is the Police Tactical Group of the Northern Territory Police. Part of the Territory Response Section the TRG is tasked to provide general and specialist support to other units of the Northern Territory Police...
  
  
• Queensland Police - Special Emergency Response Team
  Special Emergency Response Team (Queensland)
  Special Emergency Response Team is the Police Tactical Group of the Queensland Police, Australia. SERT is part of the Specialist Response Branch which incorporates Explosive Operations Response Team and the Negotiator Coordination Unit....
  
  
• South Australia Police - Special Tasks and Rescue Group
  Special Tasks and Rescue
  Special Tasks and Rescue is the Police Tactical Group of the South Australia Police.-History:Formed on 30 November, 1978 the South Australian Police STAR Force was a rationalisation of specialist resources into one command/unit...
  
  
• Tasmania Police - Special Operations Group
  Special Operations Group of the Tasmania Police
  The Special Operations Group is the Police Tactical Group of the Australian Tasmania Police.SOG is a highly trained group within the Tasmania Police Service, made up of current serving Tasmania Police members from varied sections and branches.-Mission:...
  
  
• Victoria Police - Special Operations Group
  Victoria Police Special Operations Group
  The Special Operations Group is the Police Tactical Group of the Victoria Police.-History:The Special Operations Group was formed in 1977. Its main function was to provide a response to politically motivated and criminal terrorist activity. Today, this remains the number one priority for the...
  
  
• Victoria Police - Critical Incident Response Team
  Critical Incident Response Team
  Victoria Police Critical Incident Response Team are part of the Victorian Police Force Response Unit Command.- Overview :The Critical Incident Response Team respond to incidents that wouldn’t warrant the attendance of the Special Operations Group but for which the general duties police are not...
  
  
• Western Australia Police - Tactical Response Group

Austria

• Bundespolizei (Federal Police) - Einsatzkommando (EKO) Cobra
  EKO Cobra
  EKO Cobra is the Counter-Terrorism unit of the Austrian Federal Police.-History:The Einsatzkommando Cobra, formerly known as GEK was formed in 1972, primarily to protect Jewish immigrants who were using Austria as a throughroute to Israel from attack by Palestinian militant groups, and as a...
  
  

Brazil

• Polícia Militar (Brazilian Military Police) - Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais
  BOPE
  BOPE is the elite special forces unit in the Military Police of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil....
  
  (Special Police Operations Battalion)
• Polícia Militar (Brazilian Military Police) - Grupo de Ações Táticas Especiais
  Grupo de Ações Táticas Especiais
  GATE is a special force of São Paulo military police.Tactical force, their mission is rescue hostages and disarming bombs.- Weapons :Various types of weapons used by GATE:...
  
  (Special Tactical Actions Group)

Canada

• Calgary Police Service - Tactical Unit
• Correctional Service Canada - Correctional Service Canada
• Durham Regional Police - Tactical Support Unit (TSU)
• Edmonton Police Service - Tactical Unit
• Hamilton Regional Police - Tactical Rescue Unit
• Municipal Integrated Emergency Response Team - MIERT, A joint ERT of the Delta, Abbotsford, New Westminster, and Port Moody Police Departments.
• Niagara Regional Police - Emergency Task Unit
• Ontario Provincial Police - Tactics and Rescue Unit (TRU), Emergency Response Team (ERT), Provincial Emergency Response Team (PERT)
• Ottawa Police Service - Tactical Unit
• Peel Regional Police - Tactical and Rescue Unit
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police - Emergency Response Team (ERT)
• Service de police de la Ville de Montreal (City of Montreal Police Service) - Groupe tactique d'intervention (Tactical Intervention Group)
• Sûreté du Québec (Quebec Provincial Police) - Groupe d'Intervention (Intervention Group )
• Toronto Police Service - Emergency Task Force
  Emergency Task Force
  The Emergency Task Force ' is the tactical unit of the Toronto Police Service . It is mandated to deal with high risk situations like gun calls, hostage taking, barricaded persons, emotionally disturbed persons, high risk arrests and warrant service, and protection details. The unit was created in...
  
   (ETF)
• Vancouver Police Department - Emergency Response Team
• Waterloo Regional Police Service - Emergency Response Unit
• Winnipeg Police Service - Tactical Support Team (TST)
• York Regional Police - Emergency Response Unit (ERU)

Chile

• Carabineros de Chile (Chilean gendarmerie) - Grupo de Operaciones Policiales Especiales (Special Police Operations Group)

Colombia

• Ejército Nacional - [GAULA]http://www.ejercito.mil.co/index.php?idcategoria=71 (Antiterrorism, antikidnapping)

Denmark

• Politiet (Danish police) - Aktionsstyrken (AKS)
  Politiets Aktionsstyrke
  Politiets Aktionsstyrke is the special forces unit of the Danish police.AKS is a national SWAT unit. It is meant to handle extraordinarily difficult or life-threatening criminal situations, such as terrorism, hostage situations, and kidnapping. It also deals with emergency rescue situations that...
  
  

France

• Police Nationale (National Police)
  • Groupes d'Intervention de la Police Nationale (GIPN)
    GIPN
    GIPN is an initialism for Groupes d'Intervention de la Police Nationale or French National Police Intervention Groups. Its motto is " La cohésion fait la force " or "cohesion makes the force."-History:...
    
    (National Police Intervention Groups)
  • Recherche Assistance Intervention Dissuasion (RAID)
    Recherche Assistance Intervention Dissuasion
    Recherche Assistance Intervention Dissuasion or RAID. RAID is like the GIPN a local SWAT unit of the Police Nationale with more menpower and equipment. Its responsibility areas are Paris and the suburbs as well as "Plan Piratair" , nuclear sites, the Channel Tunnel, the trains, and other strategic...
    
    (Research, Assistance, Intervention, Deterrence)
  • Brigade Anti-Criminalité (BAC) of the Préfecture de Police de Paris (Prefecture of Paris Police)
  • Service de Protection des Hautes Personnalités
    Service de Protection des Hautes Personnalités
    The Service de Protection des Hautes Personnalités is a French national police unit in charge of the protection of VIPs and the provision of technical security support...
    
    (SPHP)

• Gendarmerie Nationale (National Gendarmerie)
  • Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale (GIGN)
    Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale
    The National Gendarmerie Intervention Group, commonly abbreviated GIGN , is the French Gendarmerie's elite counter-terrorism and hostage rescue unit; it is part of the military force The National Gendarmerie Intervention Group, commonly abbreviated GIGN , is the French Gendarmerie's elite...
    
    (National Gendarmerie Intervention Group)
  • Pelotons d'Intervention de 2e Génération (PI2G)

Germany

• Bundespolizei (German Federal Police) - GSG 9
  GSG 9
  The GSG 9 der Bundespolizei is the elite counter-terrorism and special operations unit of the German Federal Police and is considered by Interpol to be one of the best of its kind in the world...
  
  (formerly an a German abbreviation of Grenzschutzgruppe 9, 'Border Guards, Group 9')
• Landespolizei (State police) Spezialeinsatzkommando (SEK)
  Spezialeinsatzkommando
  Spezialeinsatzkommandos are the special response units of the German state police forces. German SEKs are full-time units whose members do not perform any other duties, and are essentially the equivalent of American SWAT Teams...
  
  
• Zollkriminalamt (German Customs Investigation Bureau) - Zentrale Unterstützungsgruppe Zoll (ZUZ)
  Zentrale Unterstützungsgruppe Zoll
  The Zentrale Unterstützungsgruppe Zoll is the SWAT unit of the German customs service and subordinate to the German Customs Investigation Bureau...
  
  
• Mobiles Einsatzkommando (Mobiles Einsatzkommando, state police services and federal criminal police office)

Greece

• Elliniki Astynomia (Greek Police) - Eidiki Katastaltiki Antitromokratiki Monada
  Special Anti-Terrorist Unit
  The Special Suppressive Anti-Terrorist Unit is the Greek counter-terrorism unit of the Hellenic Police. It is the most distinguished part of the Hellenic Police...
  
  (Special Anti-Terrorist Unit)

Hong Kong

• Hong Kong Police Force - Police Tactical Unit
  Police Tactical Unit (Hong Kong)
  The Police Tactical Unit is a special unit of the Hong Kong Police Force. This unit is made up of six companies, comprising in total about 1,020 officers. Each company is made up of 4 platoons, each led by an Inspector or Senior Inspector...
  
  
  • Special Duties Unit
    Special Duties Unit
    The Special Duties Unit is a secretive and elite paramilitary police unit of the Hong Kong Police. Established in July 1974, it is a sub-division of the Police Tactical Unit...
    
    
  • Airport Security Unit
    Airport Security Unit (Hong Kong)
    The Airport Security Unit is a special branch of the Hong Kong Police tasked with the security of Hong Kong's airport....
    
    

Iceland

• Víkingasveitin
  Víkingasveitin
  Víkingasveitin , or Sérsveit ríkislögreglustjóra is Iceland's elite counter-terrorism unit, specializing in various types of armed and unarmed infantry combat...
  
   (Viking Squad / Special Operations Unit of the National Commissioner)

Ireland

• Garda Síochána (national police) - Emergency Response Unit
  Emergency Response Unit (Garda)
  The Emergency Response Unit of the Garda Síochána is a specialist armed intervention unit under the Special Detective Unit, formed to deal with situations that cannot be handled by regular Garda officers.-Duties:...
  
  

Israel

• Mishteret Yisrael (Israel Police)
  • Yeḥidat Mishtara Meyuḥedet
    Yamam
    The Yamam , is the acronym for Special Police Unit , Israel's elite civilian counter-terrorism unit. The Yamam is capable of both hostage-rescue operations and offensive take-over raids against targets in civilian areas...
    
    (YAMAM)
  • Yehidat Siyur Meyuhedet
    Yasam
    The Yasam is the Israel Police Special Patrol Unit , a police unit dedicated to continuous security, riot and crowd control and other special operations....
    
    (Yasam)

Italy

• Nucleo Operativo Centrale di Sicurezza
  Nucleo Operativo Centrale di Sicurezza
  The Nucleo Operativo Centrale di Sicurezza is a special operations division of the Italian police.-History:...
  
  (Italian Police
  Polizia di Stato
  The Polizia di Stato is one of the national police forces of Italy.It is responsible for providing police duties in Italy; patrolling motorways , railways, airports, customs as well as certain waterways, and assisting the local police forces.It was a military force until 1981 when, with the Italian...
  
  )
• Gruppo di Intervento Speciale
  Gruppo di Intervento Speciale
  Gruppo di Intervento Speciale is a counterterrorism asset inside the Italian Carabinieri military police, first formed in 1978. In 2004 the GIS evolved into a special forces unit...
  
  (Italian Carabinieri
  Carabinieri
  The Arma dei Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both the military and civilian populations. The Carabinieri is now a branch of the armed forces , thus ending their long standing role as the first corps of the Italian army.-Early history:The corps was created by King Victor...
  
  )

Japan

• Keisatsu-chō (National Police Agency) - Tokushu Kyūshū Butai
  Special Assault Team
  The is the official civilian counter-terrorist unit under the Japanese National Police Agency. Like the GSG 9, the KSK and the SAS, most information on the unit has been confidential, its existence officially revealed only in 1996....
  
  (Special Assault Team or SAT)

Latvia

• Speciālo uzdevumu vienība (Special Tasks Unit)
• OMEGA
  OMEGA
  OMEGA is the premier counter-terrorism unit of Latvia. Founded in 1992, OMEGA cooperates with many other counter-terrorism units over the world. Its equipment and weaponry includes the Heckler & Koch MP5, the HK G36C and the Walther P99....
  
   (counter-terrorism unit)

Malaysia

• Royal Malaysia Police
  • Pasukan Gerakan Khas
    Pasukan Gerakan Khas
    The Pasukan Gerakan Khas PDRM is an elite counter-terrorism and special operations tactical unit of the Royal Malaysian Police...
    
     (Special Operations Force)
  • Unit Tindakan Cepat

Netherlands

• Koninklijke Marechaussee (Royal Marshals/Royal Military Police) - Brigade Speciale Beveiligingsopdrachten
  Brigade Speciale Beveiligingsopdrachten
  The Brigade Speciale Beveiligingsopdrachten or BSB is a special unit of the Koninklijke Marechaussee, the Dutch gendarmerie corps. The unit has a number of tasks...
  
  (Brigade Special Protection tasks)

• Korps landelijke politiediensten (National Police Services Agency) - Dienst Speciale Interventies (Special Intervention Service)

Nicaragua

• Policia Nacional-DOEP
  • Tácticas y Armas Policiales de Intervención y Rescate (TAPIR)
  • Departamento de Intervención Rápida (GIR)

Norway

• Politi- og lensmannsetaten (Norwegian Police Service) - Beredskapstroppen
  Beredskapstroppen
  Beredskapstroppen , call sign Delta, is a specialized police unit situated in Oslo, Norway. It is the main public force counter-terrorism unit in Norway, trained to perform dangerous operations such as high-risk arrests and hostage situations...
  
  (nickname 'Delta')
• Forsvarets Spesialkommando

Portugal

• Polícia de Segurança Pública (Public Security Police) - Grupo de Operações Especiais (GOE)
  Grupo de Operações Especiais (Portugal)
  Grupo de Operações Especiais - GOE is the Portuguese PSP special operations unit, manned slightly over 200 elements....
  
  (Special Operations Group)

Romania

• Detaşamentul de Intervenţii şi Acţiuni Speciale
  Detasamentul de Politie pentru Interventie Rapida
  Detaşamentul Poliţiei pentru Intervenţie Rapidă is the common name in Romania for county-level police rapid intervention units....
  
  (DIAS), part of Detaşamentul de Poliţie pentru Intervenţie Rapidă
  Detasamentul de Politie pentru Interventie Rapida
  Detaşamentul Poliţiei pentru Intervenţie Rapidă is the common name in Romania for county-level police rapid intervention units....
  
   (DPIR) (Rapid Reaction Police Department)

Russia

• Ministerstvo Vnutrennikh Del (MVD) (Ministry of Internal Affairs) - Otryad Militsii Osobogo Naznacheniya (OMON)
  OMON
  OMON is a generic name for the system of special units of militsiya within the Russian and earlier the Soviet MVD...
  
  (Special Purpose Police Squad; generic name)
  • Spetsialniy Otryad Bistrogo Reagirovannia (SOBR)
    SOBR
    The Special Rapid Response Unit or SOBR is an elite commando unit of the Russian Interior Ministry, involved in anti-criminal operations.On...
    
    (Special Rapid Reaction Unit)

Singapore

• Singapore Police Force - Special Tactics and Rescue (STAR)
  Special Tactics and Rescue (Singapore)
  The Special Tactics and Rescue is the SWAT/HRT equivalent of the Singapore Police Force. Its official task is to provide the Singapore Police Force with a tactical armed-response capability, and its motto is "Vigilance, Valour, Victory"....
  
  

South Africa

• South African Police Service - Service Special Task Force
  South African Police Service Special Task Force
  The South African Police Service Special Task Force is the special operations element of the South African Police Service .The STF is considered to be among the best of such units in the world....
  
   (SAPS STF)

Spain

• Cuerpo Nacional de Policía (National Police Corps) - Grupo Especial de Operaciones (GEO)
  Grupo Especial de Operaciones
  The Grupo Especial de Operaciones , commonly known as GEOs, are the Special Operations Forces of the Spanish Cuerpo Nacional de Policía. They are stationed in Guadalajara near the capital, Madrid. The GEO has special response capabilities and is responsible for VIP protection duties, as well as...
  
  (Special Operations Group)
• Cuerpo de la Guardia Civil (Civil Guard)- Unidad Especial de Intervención (UEI)
  Unidad Especial de Intervención
  The Unidad Especial de Intervención is the emergency response unit of the Spanish Guardia Civil. Its motto is Celeritas et Subtilitas Patrio.The unit was created on February 3 1982...
  
  (Special Intervetion Unit)

Sweden

• Polisen (Swedish Police Service) - Nationella Insatsstyrkan (National Task Force)
• Polisen (Swedish Police Service) - Piketen
  Piketen
  Piketen is an emergency response asset of the Swedish Police Service, similar to the SWAT in the United States.Piketen is called in when situations occur that are too dangerous for ordinary police to handle, such as hostage situations, arresting armed suspects and arresting barricaded suspects...
  
  

• Metropolitan Police Service - Specialist Firearms Command (CO19)
  Specialist Firearms Command
  Specialist Firearms Command is a Central Operations branch within Greater London's Metropolitan Police Service. The Command is responsible for providing a firearms-response capability, assisting the rest of the service which is routinely unarmed...
  
  

• Federal Bureau of Investigation - Hostage Rescue Team (FBI)