This article is about the Royal Ulster Constabulary unit. For the London Metropolitan Police unit, see Special Patrol Group.
The Special Patrol Group (SPG) of the Royal Ulster Constabulary was a tactical reserve of 310 officers which had the role: "to provide support to divisional policing both uniform and CID, to police interface areas at times of civil unrest, and to do so in a disciplined way. The Special Patrol Group was preceded by the Reserve Force, the name was changed to Special Patrol Group in 1970 to mirror the introduction of the Metropolitan Special Patrol Group and to avoid confusion between the Reserve Force and the newly formed RUC Reserve.[1]
Each SPG section had 31 members, and was assigned a number and a colour - No.2 Section, based at Tennent Street, off the Shankill Road, Belfast,[2] for example, was designated 'White section'. The Special Patrol Group were the first officers trained in special weapons and tactics, and in the use of personal protective equipment for use in public order which was being developed since the start of civil unrest in Northern Ireland in 1969.[3] They were given upgraded weaponry and dispersed in units across the region.[4] The uniformed sections carried out 24 hour anti-terrorist patrols in fibreglass-reinforced 'Makrolon' Land-Rovers, prior to the introduction of armour-plated Land-Rovers. The 'Makrolons' patrolled with open back doors, so that SPG officers could debus rapidly. In addition to Walther PP pistols (later replaced with .357 MagnumRuger Speed-Six revolvers, which were reckoned to have more 'stopping power' than the standard Walther) and batons, each constable carried either a Sterling submachine gun, a Ruger Mini-14 carbine, or a 7.62 mm L1A1 SLR rifle. A few officers were issued with Lee-Enfield sniper-rifles with telescopic sights, converted to use 7.62 mm ammunition.[2] The six-man teams were trained in special weapons and tactics (SWAT) techniques.[2]
Historyedit
The RUC SPG was based on the Metropolitan Police model with the main roles of preventing outbreaks of public order and an anti-terrorist role. The SPG in London was disbanded in January 1987 and the same fate befell the RUC Special Patrol Group. They were replaced by Divisional Mobile Support Units operating under local divisional control.[5]
Bronze sectionedit
Within the SPG another unit was formed and given the name "Bronze section". Apparently modelled on the Mobile Reaction Force created by Brigadier (later general) Frank Kitson.[5] While the formation of Bronze section led directly to the creation of "E" Department within Special Branch the best known of which is the E4A department which dealt with humint and E4B which specialised in intelligence led operations etc.[5] Following the return of primacy to the police the Special Support Unit (SSU) which was trained by the SAS was formed to perform an anti terrorist role.like its army counterpart before it, it did not enjoy any notable success at first however, their activity and infiltration of the provisional IRA undermined their operations to such an extent that it would eventually lead to a ceasefire.
Arrestsedit
Two SPG members, John Weir and Billy McCaughey were arrested in 1979 and confessed to paramilitary activities. In June 1980, they were convicted of the murder of Catholic chemist William Strathearn in April 1977.
Weir accused his colleagues of participation in 11 killings. An independent inquiry in 2006 found that in 7 out of 8 cases, ballistics tests corroborated his claims, linking the killings to weapons carried by RUC officers.[6] The Barron report found that a group of loyalist paramilitaries, RUC officers, and British military personnel operating out of a farm in Glenanne was responsible for up to 31 killings.[7] This group become known as the Glenanne gang.
The SPG was temporarily restricted from patrolling republican areas such as Crossmaglen and Silverbridge. However, some of the restrictions were lifted after Weir and another RUC officer met Harold McCusker, the local UnionistMP and asked for them to be lifted.[8][9] According to Toby Harnden, "the years when McCaughey and the RUC Special Patrol Group were at large represented the only period when loyalist paramilitaries made forays deep into South Armagh, a republican stronghold".[10]
The Armagh SPG was stood down and the remainder of the Special Patrol Group was renamed as the Divisional Mobile Support Unit (DMSU) which had already existed as to supplement the numbers in the SPG.[3]
Casualtiesedit
The first SPG casualty was Const Robert Buckley from Portadown, married with two young daughters. Killed 26 February 1971 when gunmen opened fire from the cover of a rioting mob at Alliance Avenue, Belfast [3][11] An SPG constable, Noel Davies, was the first policeman killed by the INLA as he made to drive away a recovered stolen vehicle.[12]
^ abc"CAIN: Issues: Policing: Graham Ellison and Jim Smyth (2000) 'The Crowned Harp: Policing Northern Ireland'". Cain.ulst.ac.uk. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
^. Seeingred.com. Archived from the original on 19 June 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
^Barron throws light on a little shock of horrors, Susan McKay, Sunday Tribune, 14 December 2003.
^"RUC men's secret war with the IRA". Sunday Times. Liam Clarke. 7 March 1999.
^. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
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This article is about the Royal Ulster Constabulary unit For the London Metropolitan Police unit see Special Patrol Group The Special Patrol Group SPG of the Royal Ulster Constabulary was a tactical reserve of 310 officers which had the role to provide support to divisional policing both uniform and CID to police interface areas at times of civil unrest and to do so in a disciplined way The Special Patrol Group was preceded by the Reserve Force the name was changed to Special Patrol Group in 1970 to mirror the introduction of the Metropolitan Special Patrol Group and to avoid confusion between the Reserve Force and the newly formed RUC Reserve 1 Royal Ulster ConstabularyAbbreviationRUCAgency overviewFormed1 June 1922Preceding agencyRoyal Irish ConstabularyDissolved4 November 2001Superseding agencyPolice Service of Northern IrelandJurisdictional structureNational agencyNorthern Ireland UKOperations jurisdictionNorthern Ireland UKMap of Royal Ulster Constabulary s jurisdictionSize13 843 km2 5 345 sq mi General natureLocal civilian police Contents 1 Organisation 2 History 2 1 Bronze section 3 Arrests 4 Casualties 5 Bibliography 6 ReferencesOrganisation editEach SPG section had 31 members and was assigned a number and a colour No 2 Section based at Tennent Street off the Shankill Road Belfast 2 for example was designated White section The Special Patrol Group were the first officers trained in special weapons and tactics and in the use of personal protective equipment for use in public order which was being developed since the start of civil unrest in Northern Ireland in 1969 3 They were given upgraded weaponry and dispersed in units across the region 4 The uniformed sections carried out 24 hour anti terrorist patrols in fibreglass reinforced Makrolon Land Rovers prior to the introduction of armour plated Land Rovers The Makrolons patrolled with open back doors so that SPG officers could debus rapidly In addition to Walther PP pistols later replaced with 357 Magnum Ruger Speed Six revolvers which were reckoned to have more stopping power than the standard Walther and batons each constable carried either a Sterling submachine gun a Ruger Mini 14 carbine or a 7 62 mm L1A1 SLR rifle A few officers were issued with Lee Enfield sniper rifles with telescopic sights converted to use 7 62 mm ammunition 2 The six man teams were trained in special weapons and tactics SWAT techniques 2 History editThe RUC SPG was based on the Metropolitan Police model with the main roles of preventing outbreaks of public order and an anti terrorist role The SPG in London was disbanded in January 1987 and the same fate befell the RUC Special Patrol Group They were replaced by Divisional Mobile Support Units operating under local divisional control 5 Bronze section edit Within the SPG another unit was formed and given the name Bronze section Apparently modelled on the Mobile Reaction Force created by Brigadier later general Frank Kitson 5 While the formation of Bronze section led directly to the creation of E Department within Special Branch the best known of which is the E4A department which dealt with humint and E4B which specialised in intelligence led operations etc 5 Following the return of primacy to the police the Special Support Unit SSU which was trained by the SAS was formed to perform an anti terrorist role like its army counterpart before it it did not enjoy any notable success at first however their activity and infiltration of the provisional IRA undermined their operations to such an extent that it would eventually lead to a ceasefire Arrests editTwo SPG members John Weir and Billy McCaughey were arrested in 1979 and confessed to paramilitary activities In June 1980 they were convicted of the murder of Catholic chemist William Strathearn in April 1977 Weir accused his colleagues of participation in 11 killings An independent inquiry in 2006 found that in 7 out of 8 cases ballistics tests corroborated his claims linking the killings to weapons carried by RUC officers 6 The Barron report found that a group of loyalist paramilitaries RUC officers and British military personnel operating out of a farm in Glenanne was responsible for up to 31 killings 7 This group become known as the Glenanne gang The SPG was temporarily restricted from patrolling republican areas such as Crossmaglen and Silverbridge However some of the restrictions were lifted after Weir and another RUC officer met Harold McCusker the local Unionist MP and asked for them to be lifted 8 9 According to Toby Harnden the years when McCaughey and the RUC Special Patrol Group were at large represented the only period when loyalist paramilitaries made forays deep into South Armagh a republican stronghold 10 The Armagh SPG was stood down and the remainder of the Special Patrol Group was renamed as the Divisional Mobile Support Unit DMSU which had already existed as to supplement the numbers in the SPG 3 Casualties editThe first SPG casualty was Const Robert Buckley from Portadown married with two young daughters Killed 26 February 1971 when gunmen opened fire from the cover of a rioting mob at Alliance Avenue Belfast 3 11 An SPG constable Noel Davies was the first policeman killed by the INLA as he made to drive away a recovered stolen vehicle 12 Bibliography editAsher Michael Shoot to Kill A Soldier s Journey Through Violence Penguin 1990 Cassell 2003 ISBN 0 304 36628 5 Doherty Richard The Thin Green Line The History of the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC Pen amp Sword 2004 ISBN 1 84415 058 5 Ellison Graham Smyth Jim The Crowned Harp Policing Northern Ireland Pluto Press London 2000 ISBN 978 0 7453 1393 1 Harnden Toby Bandit Country The IRA and South Armagh Hodder Paperbacks New Ed edition 6 July 2000 ISBN 0340717378 David R Orr RUC Spearhead The RUC Reserve Force 1950 1970 Redcoat Publishing 2013 ISBN 978 0 9538367 4 1 References edit Doherty p93 a b c Asher Michael Shoot to Kill a b c Doherty p134 Ellison Smyth p105 a b c CAIN Issues Policing Graham Ellison and Jim Smyth 2000 The Crowned Harp Policing Northern Ireland Cain ulst ac uk Retrieved 19 August 2013 SeeingRed John Weir s Affadavit sic Seeingred com Archived from the original on 19 June 2009 Retrieved 19 August 2013 Barron throws light on a little shock of horrors Susan McKay Sunday Tribune 14 December 2003 RUC men s secret war with the IRA Sunday Times Liam Clarke 7 March 1999 The Barron Report and South Armagh Archived from the original on 29 September 2007 Retrieved 13 December 2014 Harnden p139 Doherty p98 Doherty p119 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Special Patrol Group RUC amp oldid 1220570356, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
