The SAAF Forum

Since when have they started wearing berets?



Also, with them re-adopting the military ranks, are they still known as the SAPS or have they reverted back to SAP as well?

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A plan is simply a basis for change.

As far as I know its still the SAPS,and that is the new reaction force,they jusy below the task force,and they wear barets like the SAPS task force now.

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Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
But today is a gift.
That's why it's called the present.
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Adrian Munro
http://www.weddingduo.co.za
https://www.facebook.com/Airfirephotography/

Interesting, thanks. Is there any other information about them - are these equivalent to the Reaction Units of days gone by? I can't seem to find much information about them on Google.

_________________
A plan is simply a basis for change.

They are used where the police need backup in serious situations,like hijackings and robberies and cash heists.

The Operational Response Services Division of the SAPS provides specialized operational response services to the community by -

maintaining public order;
preventing cross-border crime;
providing airborne support during law-enforcement operations; and
carrying out medium-risk and high-risk operations.
This division consists of the Border Police, the SAPS Air Wing, the Special Task Force, Crime Combating units and Intervention units.

Police members of the Area Crime Combating units are responsible for maintaining public order by-

combating serious and violent crime;
policing public gatherings;
giving specialized operational support to other units in the SAPS; and
ensuring the effective management of information.
These units participate in intelligence-driven operations to combat crime in the service areas of police stations. They also manage crowds at, for instance, marches and sports events. National Intervention units stabilize tense crime situations when normal policing is not enough by -

responding quickly to abnormally high levels of crime and public violence;
providing a support function to planned intelligence-driven operations. Mobile deployment focuses on identified areas to address crime;
performing specialized tasks regarding the combating of public violence in urban and rural areas; and
giving operational support to the Area Crime Combating units during high-risk operations.

_________________
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
But today is a gift.
That's why it's called the present.
____________________________
Adrian Munro
http://www.weddingduo.co.za
https://www.facebook.com/Airfirephotography/

The SAPolice Reaction/Riot Units have worn berets before.

The first ones were in SAP II Pattern Camoflauge material, so they look like 32 Batt berets which were made from the same. They are different though as the have a high band on the portion that fits around your head. Not all Riot Units had a Reaction Unit. Riot Unit 8 only got a Reaction Unit in 1991, prior to that the Platoon on duty just did that function.

As in order to wear the Riot Unit 8 shoulder flash you had to do an course to qualify. Not all units did this.

I was issued with two of these in 1991 when I was still in Riot Unit 8 the Units changed their name to Internal Stability Units (ISU) around the same time.

After our Commanding Officer Major Terrblanche was murdered in 1990 by a member of the Unit. Our new commander was Col "Bok" Fourie from the STF and he wore a beret just like the ones in the photo back then in 1990.

That's pretty buzzy... what happened with that?

As usual thanks for all the info Airfire, Wxxxxx

_________________
A plan is simply a basis for change.

Major Terblanche was shot by Const Roy Ngcobo, Ngcobo was a UDF supporter. Terblanche knew every single members name (first and surname) in the Unit and there was 300 of us.

Every day Terblanche travelled in the morning to Durban for a Regional meeting. He gave Ngcobo alift to the Hammersdale/Inchanga off ramp on the N3 as he knew Ngcobo lived in the area and had given him lifts before.

At the off ramp on the Durban side Ngcobo he shot Terblanche multiple times as he got out of the motor vehicle (a white Toyota Cressida) at the time Terblanche was unarmed, he hardly ever carried a firearm. Even at point blank range it was not an instant kill as Terblanche had tried to drive off. Proved by ballistic angles of the shots fired at him.

Cst Roy Ngcobo was later killed in a struggle over a firearm (Beretta Model 202 pump action Riot shotgun) by a Sergeant from Murder & Robbery. This ended up in a massive investigation