Specialist Response Unit (SRU)
Our Specialist Response Unit responds to
reports of unattended items on the railway. They assess
packages, bags and substances such as unusual smells, powders,
liquids and chemicals.
Our SRU is unique within British policing because of the
broad spectrum of incidents that they respond
to.
Minimising disruption
In the event of an unattended package or substance being found
on the railway, the SRU will gather
information to decide whether the item can be cleared as
lost property or whether additional specialist resources, such as
Explosive Ordnance Disposal experts, need to be called.
SRU officers can deal proportionately with an incident
to ensure rail passengers and members of staff can travel safely
and securely.
Specialist unit, specialist equipment
The SRU have the technical capability to assess packages, bags,
suspicious smells, powders, liquids and chemicals and
then decide whether it is necessary to call in an EOD
expert. This whole process can be completed quickly without
compromising safety and prevents the network from being disrupted
more than necessary.
Below is a snapshot of some of the equipment that SRU officers
use:
- We use Mobile 3D X-ray machines to examine
unattended items.
- In the unlikely event of a chemical incident, SRU officers wear
chemical resistant Gas Tight Suits and deploy a
Hapsite to analyse the atmosphere and
establish what specific chemical has been used.
- Our Chemical Agent Monitors were designed for
the military – they tell officers
whether a substance is a threat or not.
- Radiation attacks are very unlikely, but SRU are prepared
with personal Radiation Monitors to
alarm if the background radiation reaches a certain level. Officers
then use a hand-held monitor to find the source and
detect specific radioactive isotopes.
See more
photos of the SRU on Flickr.