Riot police
Riot police are police who are organized, deployed, trained or equipped to confront crowds, protests or riots.
Riot police may be regular police who act in the role of riot police in particular situations or they may be separate units organized within or in parallel to regular police forces. Riot police are used in a variety of different situations and for a variety of different purposes. They may be employed to control riots as their name suggests, to disperse or control crowds, to maintain public order or discourage criminality, or to protect people or property. In some cases, riot police may function as a tool of political repression by violently breaking up protests and suppressing dissent or civil disobedience. In recent decades, observers have noted the increasing militarization of riot and protest policing, with police deploying snipers, flashbang grenades and guns with plastic bullets.
Riot gear
Riot police often use special equipment termed riot gear to help protect themselves and attack others. Riot gear typically includes personal armor, batons, riot shields and riot helmets. Many riot police teams also deploy specialized less-than-lethal weapons, such as pepper spray, tear gas, rifles that fire rubber bullets, stun grenades, and Long Range Acoustic Devices.
List of riot police organizations
- Australia – Public Order and Riot Squad (New South Wales); Public Order Response Team (Victoria)
- Austria – Bereitschaftseinheit Wien of the Federal Police
- Belgium – Interventiekorps / Corps d'Intervention (since 2004)
- Bulgaria – National Gendarmerie Service
- Chile – FUERZAS ESPECIALES
- Colombia - ESMAD(since 1999)
- Czech Republic - Riot Police of the Czech Republic
- France – Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité and Escadrons de Gendarmerie Mobile
- Germany – Bereitschaftspolizei units of the state and federal police forces
- Greece – Units for the Reinstatement of Order
- Hungary – Készenléti Rendőrség
- India – Rapid Action Force
- Ireland – Garda Public Order Unit
- Israel – Yasam
- Italy - Guardia di Finanza
- Malaysia – Federal Reserve Unit
- Netherlands – Mobiele Eenheid (since 1936)
- Poland - OPP - Oddziały Prewencji Policji
- Romania – Romanian Gendarmerie
- Russia – OMON
- Serbia - Gendarmery_(Serbia), Policijska brigada, in extremely tough situations special forces units may be called like (Special_Anti-Terrorist_Unit_(Serbia))
- Spain – Grupos de Reserva y Seguridad Unidad de Intervención Policial
- Singapore – Police Tactical Unit (Singapore)
- South Korea - Combat Police, division of National Police Agency
- Texas (USA) – Texas Ranger Division
- Turkey – Çevik Kuvvet
- Ukraine – Berkut (1992–2014)
- United Kingdom - Territorial Support Group (Metropolitan Police area)
- Vietnam - Mobile Police
See also
References
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