Riot Police Unit

Riot Police Units (機動隊, Kidō-tai)
Active 1957–present
Country  Japan
Branch Prefectural Police Departments
Role Law Enforcement
Riot control
Disaster relief
Size c. 8,000 (full-time units)[1]

Riot Police Units (機動隊, Kidō-tai) are rapid reaction force of Japanese prefectural police departments. These units are not only riot police literally, but also a type of Emergency Service Units to maintain public-order against large civil disorder, disaster response, or other emergency situations as the key units of Japanese law enforcement for crisis management under the supervision of the Security Bureau of the National Police Agency.[2][3]

Background

In the pre-war era, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD) established the Emergency Service 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.[4]

On the same day, the Guard section (防護課, Bougo-ka) was created for the same role in the TMPD. In 1948, this unit was reinforced to the Police Reserve Units (予備隊, Yobi-tai).[4] 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 Departments had the same kind of units.[5]

Organization

The Emergency Response Team (ERT) of the TMPD.
A SWAT vehicle of the third Riot Police Unit of the TMPD.
TMPD SAR officers rescuing child during the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake relief mission.

Riot police units comprise the main strength of the Security Bureaus of each Prefectural Police Departments. Most Departments have only one unit, but on the other hand, some urban Prefectural Police Departments have multiple units. For example, there are ten units (nine ordinary units and one Special Vehicle Unit) in the TMPD.[6]

Each units consist of a headquarters and some companies.[7] The Public relations divisions, known as "DJ cops", are placed in each unit headquarters. They rely on eloquent and humorous speaking to prevent crowd disasters.[8]

Specialist squads

Basically, the equipment of the anti-riot officers 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.

Counter terrorism

Anti-firearms squads (銃器対策部隊, Jūki-taisaku-butai)
As a response to the Kin Kiro Incident, the NPA requested the establishment of sniper teams for each Prefectural Police Departments in 1969, and until 1973, all Prefectural Police Departments had these kind of teams as a part of the Riot Police Units.[9]
At this point, these teams were part-time units called only when needed. In 1996, they were reorganized as local full-time counter-terrorism squads cooperating with the national-level Special Assault Teams.[10] Also since 2002 Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine guns have been deployed, the equipment has also been strengthened.[11]
Its current strength is about 1,900 officers.[12] They serve as first responders for the emergency situations at nuclear power plants.[2] Certain units with enhanced capabilities are established in urban prefectures, such as the Emergency Response Team (ERT) of the TMPD[13] and the Riot And Tactics Squad (RATS) of the Saitama Prefectural Police.[14]
Counter-NBC terrorism squads
Chemical, biological and nuclear defense squads. In some Prefectural Police Departments, they had been enhanced as an independent unit.[5] They work in coordination with the AFS and the SAT.[11]
Bomb disposal squads[5]

Search and rescue

Rescue squads
Technical rescue squads equipped with Heavy rescue vehicles.[1] Ordinary rescue squads are part-time units, but in the Security Bureau of the TMPD (outside of its Riot Police Units), there is also Special Rescue Team (特殊救助隊, Tokushu-kyūjo-tai), the only full-time rescue team in Japanese police.[15]
Ranger squads (レンジャー部隊, Renjā-butai)
In 1969, the TMPD established a ranger squad in its 7th Riot Police Unit under the support of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. Its primary mission was mountain rescue,[1] but with its superior mountaineering skills, this squad also attend to hostage rescue missions such as the Asama-Sansō incident. [16]
In 2001, the TMPD reorganized its ranger squad into the Mountain ranger and the Anti-firearms ranger (銃器対策レンジャー, Jūki-taisaku-renjā), combines firearms and mountaineering capability.[17]
Water rescue squads (水難救助部隊, Suinan-kyūjo-butai)
Public safety diving and rescue swimmers squads.[1]

Also, as non-permanent units prepared for large scale disasters, the Interprefectural emergency rescue units (広域緊急援助隊, Kouiki-kinkyū-enjotai) have been established based on the lesson of the Great Hanshin earthquake. Members of these units work mainly in Riot Police Units or Regional Riot Police Units during peacetime, but they regularly gather and train in preparation for disasters.[1]

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:

Secondary 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 Departments. In the TMPD, these kind of units are referred to as the Special Riot Police Units (特別機動隊, Tokubetsu-Kidō-tai).[6]
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 as reinforcements to the other prefectures.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 National Police Agency, ed. (2015). "Riot police officers work extensively and extensively". Shōten (PDF). National Police Agency.
  2. 1 2 National Police Agency (2015). "POLICE OF JAPAN 2015" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-04-10.
  3. ↑ "Various Activities, Dignitary Protection" (PDF). Japanese National Police Agency. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-06. Retrieved 2010-10-13.
  4. 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.
  5. 1 2 3 4 National Police Agency, ed. (2004). "The Riot Police Units". Fifty years of the peace preservation police (in Japanese).
  6. 1 2 Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. "Introduction of each Riot Police Units" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  7. ↑ Tokyo Metropolitan Public Safety Commission (1972-04-01). "Rules of Organization of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2016-11-02.
  8. ↑ Japan Today (June 11, 2013). "'DJ Cop' at Shibuya crossing a hit on YouTube". Retrieved 2016-11-02.
  9. ↑ National Police Agency Police History Compilation Committee, ed. (1977). Japan post-war police history (in Japanese). Japan Police Support Association. pp. 520–522.
  10. ↑ 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
  11. 1 2 "Chapter IV. Maintenance of Public Safety and Disaster Countermeasures". Japanese National Police Agency. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-03-25. Retrieved 2011-03-25.
  12. ↑ http://www.npa.go.jp/archive/keibi/syouten/syouten282/pdf/16_38-39P.pdf
  13. ↑ http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/07/26/national/anti-terrorism-squad-to-be-deployed-at-tokyo-fireworks-display/#.WR75dsYlGUk
  14. ↑ Masatsugu Otsuka (July 2016). "Mobile Tactical Unit, RATS". Strike And Tactical Magazine (in Japanese). KAMADO: 12–13.
  15. ↑ "Betting life to work Vol.63". Tosei-shinbun. 2013.
  16. ↑ Sassa, Atsuyuki (1999). Rengo Sekigun Asama Sanso Jiken. Bungeishunjū. p. 211. ISBN 978-4167560058.
  17. ↑ 警視庁　警備第一課　管理第一係. "第七機動隊". Retrieved 2018-06-23.
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