Special Escort Group (Metropolitan Police)
Encyclopedia
The Special Escort Group (SEG) is a Specialist Operations
unit (SO14) within London
's Metropolitan Police Service
.
escorts for members of the Royal family, protected members of the Government, visiting royals, heads of state and other visiting dignitaries. It also provides armed vehicle escorts for valuable, hazardous and protected loads and high risk prisoners.
This elite unit of the Metropolitan Police consists of officers with a range of skills and operational experience from various policing backgrounds. One motorcyclist (lead bike) positions himself in front of the escort, controlling the pace and position of the escort, whilst the others forge ahead, dealing with traffic situations and advising the lead bike of the safest path through the traffic they are controlling. SEG officers on BMW motorcycles use whistles in preference to sirens (which are not fitted). This reduces the level of noise that precedes an escort and reduces the environmental impact on the escorted person and general public.
Officers from The Special Escort Group are among the few police motorcyclists within the UK that carry firearms openly whilst riding. All SEG officers are Advanced Drivers, Advanced Motorcyclists and are fully trained in anti-hijack driving and firearms tactics. The SEG uses a wide range of other vehicles aside from motorcycles including Range Rovers, and BMW 5 Series
, both marked and unmarked.
The motorcycle officers of the SEG carry Austria
n Glock 17s, and if authorisation is gained, all are qualified in the use of the German
Heckler & Koch MP5
, making each member an Authorised Firearms Officer
.
Specialist Operations
Specialist Operations is a directorate of the Metropolitan Police. At its peak, SO was a group of twenty specialist units, which were formed to give the Metropolitan Police a specialist policing capability. The SO designation was implemented in 1986 as part of Sir Kenneth Newman's restructuring of...
unit (SO14) within London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Metropolitan Police Service
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
.
Role
The unit's purpose is to provide armed motorcycleMotorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
escorts for members of the Royal family, protected members of the Government, visiting royals, heads of state and other visiting dignitaries. It also provides armed vehicle escorts for valuable, hazardous and protected loads and high risk prisoners.
This elite unit of the Metropolitan Police consists of officers with a range of skills and operational experience from various policing backgrounds. One motorcyclist (lead bike) positions himself in front of the escort, controlling the pace and position of the escort, whilst the others forge ahead, dealing with traffic situations and advising the lead bike of the safest path through the traffic they are controlling. SEG officers on BMW motorcycles use whistles in preference to sirens (which are not fitted). This reduces the level of noise that precedes an escort and reduces the environmental impact on the escorted person and general public.
Officers from The Special Escort Group are among the few police motorcyclists within the UK that carry firearms openly whilst riding. All SEG officers are Advanced Drivers, Advanced Motorcyclists and are fully trained in anti-hijack driving and firearms tactics. The SEG uses a wide range of other vehicles aside from motorcycles including Range Rovers, and BMW 5 Series
BMW 5 Series
The BMW 5 Series is a mid-size / executive car manufactured by BMW since 1972. The car, now in its sixth generation, is sold in sedan and touring body styles....
, both marked and unmarked.
The motorcycle officers of the SEG carry Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n Glock 17s, and if authorisation is gained, all are qualified in the use of the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Heckler & Koch MP5
Heckler & Koch MP5
The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar....
, making each member an Authorised Firearms Officer
Authorised Firearms Officer
An Authorised Firearms Officer is a British police officer who has received training and authorisation to carry and use firearms. The designation is significant because within the United Kingdom, police officers do not routinely carry firearms...
.