Garda Regional Support Unit


Armed Support Units 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 ASU 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.
The Armed Support Unit was previously known as the Regional Support Unit until mid-2017.

Duties

A Garda Armed 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 have been produced. It also includes:
The first Regional Support Unit was formed in 2008, following recommendations made by the Barr Tribunal, which brought the existence and role of the Emergency Response Unit to public attention, 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, which had remained the sole responsibility of the ERU. The first RSU was formed on a pilot basis in the Southern Region.
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 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. As part of this process, the name Regional Support Unit was replaced by the term Armed Support Unit.
The Dublin ASU 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 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 personal defense weapons, sidearms, tasers and other specialist equipment to counter the rising threat of terrorist attacks in Europe.

Training and manpower

Garda ASU officers undergo training over a thirteen-week period, which includes instruction in:
The Garda ERU are responsible for ASU training. Some ASU officers later go on to join the ERU. The membership of the Armed 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 Armed Support Units in all six regions, each has at least 24 members, putting the overall manpower at more than 175. The command of the ASU is the Regional Detective Superintendent. The ASU falls under the Garda's Special Operations & Tactics Command.

Equipment

Weapons

Members of the Armed Support Units are equipped similarly to members of the Special Detective Unit and Emergency Response Unit.
ASU weapons include;
ASU units also carry less-lethal weapons, such as;
Armed Support Units operate Volvo V70 XC70 and Audi Q7 vehicles. Also introduced in late 2016 were BMW 5 Series Touring vehicles, costing €70,000 each with a top speed of, replacing the older fleet of XC70s. In late 2017 BMW X5s were also introduced, along with one Ford Transit tactical support van.
The ASU 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.
Patrol vehicles contain an equipment drawer and shelves in the boot to carry weapons and other tactical equipment.