The World's First SWAT Team by Leroy Thompson

Author:Leroy Thompson
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781783034376
Publisher: Frontline Books
Published: 2013-07-11T16:00:00+00:00

THE RED MARIA

No one who saw the Red Maria would forget it. It was so imposing, in fact, that it became the symbol of the Reserve Unit, a potent symbol since its arrival would often start the dispersal of an unruly crowd. Acquired in March 1927, and built on a Guy truck chassis, the Red Maria was capable of holding fifty men and had a top speed of 35 mph fully loaded. In the 1927 ‘Report of Commissioner of Police’, the Red Maria is described: ‘The van is painted scarlet and the moral affect of its appearance on the populace is considerable.’ Because of the difficulty in manoeuvring the large vehicle through the crowded streets of Shanghai, experienced truck or bus drivers who joined the SMP were often assigned to the Reserve Unit as drivers for the Red Maria.

To allow the Reserve Unit to respond to any emergency, the Red Maria carried a wide array of gear including three searchlights, four headlights, two sirens, and a fire bell. Armament included a Thompson sub-machine gun and a gas gun, either of which could be attached to a mount on the roof. A command turret atop the vehicle allowed the commander to see everything that was transpiring from above a crowd and to relay orders to the street formation. Commands could also be given using an electronic light system so that no matter how loud the crowd, the ranking officer on the scene could relay instructions clearly. Smoke and gas grenades as well as a 12-bore riot gun were also carried.

To aid in dispersing crowds, the Red Maria carried two riot banners. In Chinese characters, the first gave a warning against rioting and warned that tear gas would be used, while the second stated that if the crowd did not disperse it would be fired upon. These banners were unfurled and displayed to make sure everyone in the crowd received the warning. Reportedly, the banners and the Reserve Unit’s tactics worked well enough that in fifteen years it never had to fire on a crowd. Other riot gear carried in the Red Maria included gas masks, handcuffs, spare batons, ballistic shields, ballistic vests, spare ammunition, lathis (bamboo sticks used by the Sikhs to beat back a crowd), and ropes and chains which were stretched to hold back crowds. For carrying out rescues or assaults on buildings, the Red Maria carried ladders, axes, crowbars, bolt cutters, climbing ropes, hammers, and shovels. A fully stocked medical chest was kept ready in case of injury to members of the Unit or others. Rubber gloves for dealing with live electrical wires were carried as well.

Not only did the Red Maria prove an effective means to deploy the Reserve Unit quickly with any gear likely to be needed, but it provided a visible symbol, the arrival of which often acted in itself as a signal for all but the most committed demonstrators or rioters to disperse. Virtually every major SWAT team today has its own special-purpose vehicles, many of which are descendants in concept from the Red Maria.

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