Riot Police Unit

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TMPD anti-riot officers on guard duty during the 2016 National Foundation Day events.
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Yamaguchi Prefecture anti-riot officers surround a ship while assisting Japan Coast Guard officers.

Riot Police Units (機動隊 Kidō-tai?) are riot police forces and general reserves of Japanese prefectural police forces. These units were formed to respond quickly and effectively to large public disturbances, disaster relief, or other emergency situations as the core of Japanese law enforcement for crisis management throughout the country.[1][2]

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?). During the war, in conjunction with other prefectures, this unit was changed to the Security Unit (警備隊 Keibi-tai?), but was disbanded in 1946. [3]

The Guard Unit (防護隊 Bougo-tai?) was created for the same role after the end of WWII. In 1948, this unit was reinforced to the Police Reserve Units (予備隊 Yobi-tai?).[3] These civilian police corps worked as a rapid reaction force to maintain public order against large-scale violence or other incidents. In 1957, their name was changed to the Riot Police Units. Until 1962, all prefectural police headquarters had the same kind of units.[4]

Organization

Riot police units comprise the main strength of the Security Bureaus of each prefectural police headquarters. Most headquarters have only one unit, but some urban police headquarters have multiple units. For example, there are ten units (nine ordinary units and one Special Vehicle Unit) in the TMPD.[5]

Functional components

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AFS team standing at attention.
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TMPD SAR 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 for equipment used in riot control operations such as protective gear. 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.[6] They were reorganized in 1996.[7] In 2002, these teams were reinforced as local counter-terrorism squads cooperating with the national-level Special Assault Teams.[8] They serve as first response units to respond to emergencies at nuclear power plants.[1]
They're equipped with Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine guns and Howa M1500 sniper rifles.[9] Its current manpower is about 1,900 officers.[10]
Ranger squads (レンジャー部隊 Renjaa-butai?)
In 1970, the TMPD established a ranger squad in their 7th Riot Police Unit. The squad's primary mission was search and rescue, but with their superior mountaineering skills, they also attend to hostage rescue missions such as the Asama-Sansō incident. In 2001, the 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 (銃器対策レンジャー部隊 Juuki-taisaku-renjaa-butai?), 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 prefectural police headquarters, they has been enhanced as an independent unit.[4] They work in coordination with the AFS and the SAT.[8]
EOD squads
Bomb disposal squads.[4]

Reserves

Full-time riot police units can also be augmented by auxiliary riot police units with regular police officers 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 operate as a reserve duty forces 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?).[5]
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.[4]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 警察庁通達「銃器対策部隊の編成について」平成8年4月1日丙備発第50号
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ http://www.npa.go.jp/archive/keibi/syouten/syouten282/pdf/16_38-39P.pdf
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