Western Australia Special Operations Group facts for kids
| Country |  Australia |
|---|---|
| Branch | Western Australia Department of Corrective Services |
| Role | Corrections, Critical Incident Response and High Risk Prisoner Escorts |
| Garrison/HQ | Statewide |
| Motto(s) | "No Excuses" |
The Special Operations Group (SOG) is a special team that helps keep prisons and youth detention centers safe in Western Australia. They are part of the Department of Corrective Services. The SOG is based at the Hakea Prison Complex in Canning Vale. They are the main group that provides emergency help to all prisons and detention centers across the state.
What Does the Special Operations Group Do?
The SOG team is always ready to help. Their office is open 24 hours a day, every day, so they can respond to emergencies whenever needed.
Their main jobs include:
- Dealing with big emergencies in prisons.
- Checking how safe prisons are and finding ways to make them better.
- Safely moving people who need extra security from one place to another.
- Searching for things that shouldn't be in prisons.
- Making sure the outside areas of prisons are secure.
- Managing the control rooms that oversee prison operations.
- Teaching other staff how to handle emergencies and daily operations.
When there isn't an emergency, SOG officers do important daily jobs. These can include moving people who need high security, doing search operations, testing security systems, and patrolling prisons to make sure everything is safe. Sometimes, their work or emergency responses require them to travel by plane.
Training and Staying Ready
A big part of an SOG officer's day involves training. They work to improve their skills and learn new ones through different programs. They also spend time staying strong and fit. This helps make sure SOG officers are always ready to handle any situation and provide the best help possible.
What Were They Called Before?
The Special Operations Group has had a few different names over the years. They were once known as:
- Metropolitan Security Unit (MSU)
- Special Operations Unit (SOU)
- Emergency Support Group (ESG)
