Operational Support Unit (Ministry of Defence Police): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 19:46, 23 February 2011

Latest revision as of 11:03, 10 November 2014

(6 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown)

Line 1:

{{Main|#REDIRECT [[Ministry of Defence Police}}]]

{{refimprove|date=February 2011}}

{{Main|Ministry of Defence Police}}

{{Infobox military unit

|unit_name=Operational Support Unit

|image= [[File:MDPbadge.jpg|150px]]

|caption=

|dates= 1991 – Present

|country={{flagcountry|United Kingdom}}

|branch= Director of Operational Support

|command_structure= [[Ministry of Defence Police]]

|type=Domestic Law Enforcement

|role=[[Counter Terrorism]], [[Police Support Unit (UK)|Public Order]], [[Police|Law Enforcement]], [[CBRN]]

|current_commander=

|nickname=OSU

|identification_symbol=

|identification_symbol_label=

|-

}}

The '''Operational Support Unit''' (OSU) is the [[Ministry of Defence Police]]'s centrally managed, multi-capability, national response unit. It may be deployed anywhere in the UK at short notice. The MDP has two Operational Support Units. The are the force's strategic, specialist policing reserve providing a flexible, mobile response.

==Locations==

The MDP has two Operational Support Units, sited strategically to cover the North and South of the UK. Although both based in England, the OSUs also work in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

*OSU South - Based at [[MDPGA Wethersfield|Wethersfield]] in Essex (Co-located with Agency HQ)

*OSU North - Based at [[RAF Linton-on-Ouse]]

==Role==

[[Image:OperationalSupportUnitMOD.jpg|thumb|MDP OSU public order serial with EGT camera operator (Note MD markings on Helmet and Shoulders)]]

The MDP Operational Support Units are a strategic, specialist policing reserve providing the MDP with a flexible, mobile response.<ref name="talkthrough">http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/AB17C18F-2712-4B15-B51D-024C3C6CC38A/0/tt132_sep07.pdf</ref> The OSUs have a number of specialisms:<ref>http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/SecurityandIntelligence/MDPGA/MinistryOfDefencePolice.htm</ref>

===Public Order===

All OSU officers are trained to [[Police_Support_Unit_(UK)#PSU_grades|level one]] standard for policing public order incidents. They can provide [[Police Support Unit (UK)|Police Support Units]] to deal with protester activity that may escalate and become violent. As part of this public order capability, the OSU can deploy [[Close_quarters_combat#Methods_of_entry|method of entry teams]] to secure access to premises in order to arrest occupants, or search for and secure evidence.

===General Policing Support===

OSU officers can be deployed to provide support to Divisional colleagues at events such as Royal, or VIP visits, or Military open days.

They also provide uniformed assistance to CID and Fraud Squad investigations. They can be deployed to carry out high visibility patrols of Service quarters and other vulnerable sites during times of tension and heightened terrorist threat.

===Specialist Firearms Support===

As [[Authorised Firearms Officer]]s, OSU officers can address a wide range of incidents that may occur on the Defence estate.

===CBRN Response (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear)===

The OSU is able to respond to [[Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear|CBRN incidents]].

==See also==

* [[List of Ministry of Defence Police locations]]

==References==

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Police units of the United Kingdom]]

[[Category:Ministry of Defence Police]]