Abbreviation RSU | National agency
(Operations jurisdiction) Republic of Ireland | |
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Formed 2008 (pilot), 2012 (5 regions), 2016 (Dublin region) Legal personality Governmental: Government agency Legal jurisdiction Eastern, Northern, Southern, South-Eastern, Western & Dublin regions Governing body Department of Justice and Equality | ||
Regional Support Units (RSU) (Irish: Aonad Tacaíochta Réigiúnach) are specialist armed response units of the Garda Síochána, the national police force of Ireland. Based in all six Garda regions in the country, Garda RSU officers carry a combination of lethal firearms and non-lethal weapons, as opposed to regular uniformed Gardaí who are unarmed. They are similar to Authorised Firearms Officers of British police forces.
Contents
Duties
An armed Garda Regional Support Unit may be called out to support local Garda officers in certain high-risk operations. This principally involves offering armed assistance to otherwise unarmed Gardaí who are dealing with an incident in which firearms or other weapons (knives, etc.) have been produced. It also includes;
Background
The first Regional Support Unit (RSU) was formed in 2008, following recommendations made by the Barr Tribunal, which brought the existence and role of the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) to public attention (April 2000, see Death of John Carthy), and questioned the Dublin-based units' ability to reach other areas of the country quickly.
Regional Support Units were originally assigned to support five individual Garda regions – administrative areas drawn on geographical lines which include the Eastern, Northern, Southern, South-Eastern and Western regions – but not the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR), which had remained the sole responsibility of the ERU. The first RSU was formed on a pilot basis in the Southern Region (the administrative area which includes counties Cork, Limerick and Kerry).
As of 2012, RSU units began operating on a full-time permanent armed basis in the Eastern, Northern, Southern, South-Eastern and Western regions after a trial period. Serious incidents such as barricaded sieges, hostage takings or terrorism triggers the response of the ERU anywhere in Ireland.
In 2016 it was decided that a sixth Regional Support Unit be established in the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) to counteract the growing threat of gangland drug crime and terrorism risks. Previously the Dublin Garda region had been under the authority of the Garda ERU. The Dublin RSU began operating in early 2016 with a complement of 55-60 full-time armed officers, including 5 sergeants. The Dublin-based unit is equipped with marked and unmarked vehicles, and was officially launched in late 2016.
In April 2016 it was confirmed that armed Regional Support Units would be deployed overtly to patrol both Dublin Airport and Dublin Port full-time on foot inside terminal buildings and via vehicles outside and surrounding the perimeter, carrying sub-machine guns, sidearms, tasers and other specialist equipment to counter the rising threat of terrorist attacks in Europe.
Training and manpower
Garda RSU officers undergo training over a thirteen-week period, which includes instruction in:
The Garda ERU are responsible for RSU training. Some RSU officers later go on to join the ERU. The membership of the Regional Support Unit consists exclusively of serving officers in the Garda Síochána, who must have at least 4 years experience and a clean disciplinary record.
There are Regional Support Units in all six regions, each has at least 24 members (Dublin has 55 to 60 members), putting the overall manpower at more than 175. The command of the RSU is the Regional Detective Superintendent.
Weapons
Members of the Regional Support Units are equipped similarly to members of the Special Detective Unit (SDU) and Emergency Response Unit.
RSU weapons include;
RSU units also carry less-lethal weapons, such as;
Vehicles
Regional Support Units operate Volvo V70 XC70 (police variant) and Audi Q7 vehicles. Also introduced in late 2016 were BMW 5 Series Touring vehicles, costing €70,000 each with a top speed of 233km/h, replacing the older fleet of XC70s.
The RSU vehicles are specially modified and distinguishable from other Garda vehicles by battenburg markings, the words "ARMED SUPPORT UNIT" on the doors and a distinctive red stripe along each side. The Volvo XC70s featured a light bar on the roof with an illuminated red message scroller bearing the term "GARDA ARMED SUPPORT UNIT", however newer vehicles feature a low profile light bar and XC70s in service in Dublin have been refitted with a more standard light bar. Older vehicles have been remarked to match the current style (original vehicles did not feature the red stripe and had a different, slightly less bright reflective pattern).
Patrol vehicles contain an equipment drawer and shelves in the boot to carry weapons and other tactical equipment.