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Victoria Police Special Operations Group

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Special Operations Group
Common nameSons of God[1]
Soggies
AbbreviationSOG
MottoBlessed are the peacemakers (from Matthew 5:9)[1]
Agency overview
Formed1977
Employees187 officers[2]
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionAustralia
General nature
Specialist jurisdictions
  • Counter terrorism, special weapons operations. Protection of internationally protected persons, other very important persons, and/or of state property of significance.
Operational structure
HeadquartersMelbourne
Parent agencySecurity Services Division
Notables
People
  • Doug O'Loughlin
  • Neil O'Loughlin
  • Robert O'Loughlin
Significant operations


The Special Operations Group (SOG) is the Police Tactical Group of the Victoria Police who wear iconic black coveralls synonymous of the SOG. Formed in 1977, the SOG was Australia's first full time, and also, dedicated Police Tactical Group.[3][4]

History

The SOG was formed in secrecy on 31 October 1977 by Chief Commissioner Mick Miller to establish a group to conduct special operations in regard to counter terrorism that would be directed towards preventative/protective security and combatting operations. Terrorism meaning politically motivated criminal activity as well as other forms of criminal activity which terrorise innocent persons.[5] The first the public was aware of the existence of the SOG was by an article in The Age newspaper in 1980.[6]

In 1992, the Nine Network screened a television documentary on the SOG selection course, that included long runs, interspersed with scoffing warm beer and meat pies until the volunteers threw up, to demonstrate how drinking any alcohol while on call, would impair functioning.[1] In 1995, following a review of the SOG as part of Project Beacon, safety-first tactics were introduced along with less-than-lethal equipment with the philosophy that use of force is the last resort.[7][8][9][10] In 1996, the SOG became the first Police Tactical Group to deploy interstate, with ten officers urgently sent to Tasmania via charter plane to assist the part-time Tasmania Police Special Operations Group to respond to the Port Arthur massacre.[3][11][12][13]

In 2003, the Bomb Response Unit (BRU) was established with dedicated officers within the SOG which had since inception provided a bomb search and disposal capability to Victoria Police.[14] In 2004, the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) was formed to respond to high risk non-firearms incidents to reduce the SOG workload.[10] Such as a call out in September 1998 when the SOG disarmed a sword-wielding mentally ill man in a two-hour stand off in front of a 2000-strong crowd near Flinders Street station.[15] Earlier in 1995 during the SOG Review, there had been a proposal for two SOG teams consisting of four officers each to patrol Melbourne similar to CIRT.[16]

In 2011, the SOG responded to 4 sieges, conducted 10 forced building entries, conducted 54 high-risk arrests and mobile intercepts, and 36 cordon-and-call operations.[1]

In 2016, it was announced that the SOG strength would be increased by 20 new officers.[17] Earlier in 2010, the strength of the unit had been cut to expand CIRT.[18][19] In 2016, it was also announced that the SOG would develop a new capability with their own tactical dogs.[20]

The SOG has two nicknames Soggies and the Sons of God, the latter a backronym made from the initials SOG.[3][1] The unofficial SOG emblem is telescopic crosshairs superimposed over a balaclava-clad head on an outline of Australia.[3][21]

Notable recent incidents include the Brighton siege in June 2017, the fatal shooting of Mohamed Chaouk in April 2005 in Brooklyn, Wayne Joannou in February 2005 in South Melbourne, and earlier the fatal shooting of Norman Leung Lee in July 1992 at Melbourne Airport, the manhunt for Melbourne Remand Centre escapees in March 1993 near Jamieson, resolving a siege at a law firm in Mitcham in June 1996 with tear gas and a siege in Kangaroo Flat in October 1999 in which four uniform officers had been wounded.[22][23][24] The SOG was responsible for the security of the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

The SOG is part of the Security Services Division of the Transit & Public Safety command within Victoria Police.

Role

The SOG provides Victoria Police with a counter terrorist and high risk arrest response capability.[25] The SOG roles include, but are not limited to:-

  1. Armed offender[26][27][28]
  2. Terrorism or significant politically motivated violence[26][27][28]
  3. Unplanned operational critical incidents, such as situations involving armed offenders including sieges and hostage situations[26][27]
  4. Planned operations involving the arrest of dangerous suspects[26][27]
  5. Undertaking searches of premises in high risk situations (level three)[28]
  6. Bomb related incidents[26][27][28]
  7. Covert surveillance or reconnaissance beyond the scope of operational police[28]

Training

Volunteers for the SOG need to successfully complete a two-week selection course, and if successful, must then successfully complete a 12-week training course.[20][29][21][30]

In 2016, it was announced that a new $27 million training facility would be built.[31][32]

Equipment

The SOG use a variety of specialised weapons and equipment including the Smith & Wesson M&P pistol, SIG MCX SBR rifle, Remington 12 gauge shotguns, sniper rifles and 40mm grenade launcher.[33][34][35]

In July 2018, the SOG took delivery of two Lenco BearCat armoured rescue vehicles, one funded by the Victorian Government and the other purchased by Victoria Police, to replace their older model BearCat.[36][37] In April 2013, the SOG had taken delivery of a BearCat funded by the Federal Government.[38][39][40] The BearCat had replaced a Canadian made Armet Armored Vehicles Balkan Mk7 that had been in service since 2009.[41][42][43] The Balkan had replaced their first armoured vehicle, a British made Composite Armoured Vehicle (CAV) 100 Land Rover Defender, acquired in 1995 after being imported for trialling by the Special Air Service Regiment.[44] In 2016, the acquisition of three new ballistic rated vehicles was announced.[17]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Silvester, John (20 October 2012). "Forget forgiveness from these 'Sons of God'". The Age. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  2. ^ Yvette, Gray (24 July 2014). Behind the Line - Critical Incident Response Team (Television production). 3AW. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d O'Loughlin, Heath (2017). Sons of God : inside the secret world of our Special Operations Group. Sydney, New South Wales: Pan Macmillan. ISBN 9781743539378.
  4. ^ Police source book 2 / edited by Bruce Swanton and Garry Hannigan ; assisted by Trish Psaila (PDF). Phillip, A.C.T: Australian Institute of Criminology. 1985. ISBN 0642078319. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  5. ^ Miller, Mick (31 October 1977). Special Operations Group. Chief Commissioner Memorandum.
  6. ^ Murdoch, Lindsay (21 February 1980). "Police link to spy agencies". The Age. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  7. ^ Silvester, John (5 March 1995). "Role of elite police unit under review". The Sunday Age.
  8. ^ Winkler, Tim (29 August 1995). "Police to train in non-lethal intervention". The Age.
  9. ^ "Police to rely less on guns". Sydney Morning Herald. 29 August 1995.
  10. ^ a b Shuey (Ret.), Assistant Commissioner Ray. "Victoria - Police Practice in Other Jurisdictions". Barr Tribunal Report (Ireland) 2006. Damien Mulley. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  11. ^ "Police speak about Port Arthur murderer". The Sydney Morning Herald. 9 April 2006. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  12. ^ Carlyon, Patrick (15 April 2016). "Port Arthur 20 years on: The day that changed Australia". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 18 November 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  13. ^ Silvester, John. "Naked city: Special Ops vet and Patch do the hard yards". Sydney Morning Herald. The Age - 13 September 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  14. ^ Kaila, Jon. "Behind the scenes of Victoria Police's elite bomb squad". Herald Sun. 22 July 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  15. ^ Carson, Andrea (8 September 1998). "Crowd antics abysmal, say police". The Age.
  16. ^ Silvester, John (3 June 1995). "Ideas to counter terror". The Sunday Age.
  17. ^ a b "More Than 400 New Police For Crime Crack Down". Premier of Victoria. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  18. ^ "Police trim a third off terror unit". The Age. 8 April 2010.
  19. ^ "SOG bears the brunt of police shortages" (PDF). Journal : The Police Association Victoria. Melbourne. May 2010. ISSN 1443-2307. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 August 2016.
  20. ^ a b Carnovale, Maria. "In the black". Police Life - the Victoria Police magazine. Victoria Police. ISSN 0032-2598. Autumn 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  21. ^ a b "One false move..." The Age. 16 October 2005. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  22. ^ Petrie, Andrea. "Policeman fired fatal shot after attack". The Age. 6 April 2005.
  23. ^ Anderson, Paul (26 October 2013). "Inside the shooting death of murder suspect Wayne Joannou by Victoria's elite Special Operations Group aka the 'Sons of God'". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 6 November 2013.
  24. ^ "Victoria Police Special Operations Group (SOG) now 'The Peacemakers' after a string of fatal shootings". Herald Sun. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  25. ^ "Hiring Now - Special Operations Group". Victoria Police Recruitment. Facebook. 27 November 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  26. ^ a b c d e Review of fatal shootings by Victoria Police / report of the Director, Police Integrity (PDF). Office of Police Integrity (Report). Parliamentary paper (Victoria. Parliament) ; no. 177, session 2003-2005. Melbourne: Government Printer. November 2005. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  27. ^ a b c d e "Special Operations Group". Victoria Police. Archived from the original on 22 April 2018.
  28. ^ a b c d e "106-2 SOG attendance". Victoria Police Manual. 5 March 2007.
  29. ^ Houghton, Janae. "Have you got the skills for the SOG". Police life : the Victoria Police magazine. Victoria Police. ISSN 0032-2598. Winter 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  30. ^ Erbrederis, Anna. "So you want to be in the SOG". Police Life - the Victoria Police magazine. Victoria Police. ISSN 0032-2598. October 2008. Archived from the original on 30 March 2016.
  31. ^ "A Landmark, Victorian-First Plan To Keep People Safe". Premier of Victoria (Press release). 7 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  32. ^ Minear, Tom (7 December 2016). "New police helicopters, body cameras in State Government crime blitz". Herald Sun. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  33. ^ André, Dom. "SOG (Australia)". FLASHBANG. No. 11. France: NIMROD. Summer 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  34. ^ Peter Mitchell (24 July 2017). Elite Force. 7 News Melbourne (Television production). Seven Network. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  35. ^ Dowsley, Anthony (25 March 2017). "Victoria Police special operations, critical incident teams get new guns". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 18 November 2017. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
  36. ^ "Special Operations Group expand their fleet". Victoria Police News (Press release). 29 July 2018. Archived from the original on 29 July 2018.
  37. ^ Hosking, Wes (28 July 2018). "Victoria Police Special Operations Group gets new BearCat armoured vehicles". Sunday Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 29 July 2018.
  38. ^ "'BearCat' to assist police in hostile situations". ABC. 12 April 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  39. ^ "The Bearcat". Police Life - the Victoria Police magazine. Victoria Police. p. 4. ISSN 0032-2598. Spring 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  40. ^ "Lenco Supplies BearCat Armored Vehicles to Australian National Counter Terrorism Committee". Lenco Armored Vehicles. 9 April 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  41. ^ "Balkan Safety Rescue Vehicle". Police Life - the Victoria Police magazine. Victoria Police. p. 4. ISSN 0032-2598. December 2009. Archived from the original on 20 February 2011.
  42. ^ "Armet Balkan - Australian Police.mpg". Armet Armored Vehicles. Youtube. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  43. ^ "Balkan MK7". Armet Armored Vehicles. Archived from the original on 3 September 2011.
  44. ^ "Armoured Land-Rovers". Land Rovers. Lloyd Allison. Retrieved 27 July 2016.

Further reading

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