The SOG was formed in secrecy on 31 October 1977 by Chief Commissioner Mick Miller to establish a group to conduct special operations in regard to counter terrorism that would be directed towards preventative/protective security and combatting operations. Terrorism meaning politically motivated criminal activity as well as other forms of criminal activity which terrorise innocent persons. The first the public was aware of the existence of the SOG was by an article in The Age newspaper in 1980. In 1992, the Nine Network screened a television documentary on the SOG selection course, that included long runs, interspersed with scoffing warm beer and meat pies until the volunteers threw up, to demonstrate how drinking any alcohol while on call, would impair functioning. In 1995, following a review of the SOG as part of Project Beacon, safety-first tactics were introduced along with less-than-lethal equipment with the philosophy that use of force is the last resort. In 1996, the SOG became the first Police Tactical Group to deploy interstate, with ten officers urgently sent to Tasmania via charter plane to assist the part-time Tasmania Police Special Operations Group to respond to the Port Arthur massacre. In 2003, the Bomb Response Unit was established with dedicated officers within the SOG which had since inception provided a bomb search and disposal capability to Victoria Police. In 2004, the Critical Incident Response Team was formed to respond to high risk non-firearms incidents to reduce the SOG workload. Such as a call out in September 1998 when the SOG disarmed a sword-wielding mentally ill man in a two-hour stand off in front of a 2000-strong crowd near Flinders Street station. Earlier in 1995 during the SOG Review, there had been a proposal for two SOG teams consisting of four officers each to patrol Melbourne similar to CIRT. In 2011, the SOG responded to 4 sieges, conducted 10 forced building entries, conducted 54 high-risk arrests and mobile intercepts, and 36 cordon-and-call operations. In 2016, it was announced that the SOG strength would be increased by 20 new officers. Earlier in 2010, the strength of the unit had been cut to expand CIRT. In 2016, it was also announced that the SOG would develop a new capability with their own tactical dogs. The SOG has two nicknames Soggies and the Sons of God, the latter a backronym made from the initials SOG. The unofficial SOG emblem is telescopic crosshairs superimposed over a balaclava-clad head on an outline of Australia. Notable recent incidents include the Brighton siege in June 2017, the fatal shooting of Mohamed Chaouk in April 2005 in Brooklyn, Wayne Joannou in February 2005 in South Melbourne, and earlier the fatal shooting of Norman Leung Lee in July 1992 at Melbourne Airport, the manhunt for Melbourne Remand Centre escapees in March 1993 near Jamieson, resolving a siege at a law firm in Mitcham in June 1996 with tear gas and a siege in Kangaroo Flat in October 1999 in which four uniform officers had been wounded. The SOG was responsible for the security of the 2006 Commonwealth Games. The SOG is part of the Security Services Division of the Transit & Public Safety command within Victoria Police.
Role
The SOG provides Victoria Police with a counter terrorist and high risk arrest response capability. The SOG roles include, but are not limited to:-
Armed offender
Terrorism or significant politically motivated violence
Unplanned operational critical incidents, such as situations involving armed offenders including sieges and hostage situations
Planned operations involving the arrest of dangerous suspects
Undertaking searches of premises in high risk situations
Bomb related incidents
Covert surveillance or reconnaissance beyond the scope of operational police
Training
Volunteers for the SOG need to successfully complete a two-week selection course, and if successful, must then successfully complete a 12-week training course. In 2016, it was announced that a new $27 million training facility would be built.
