new PAP special forces unit

plawolf

Lieutenant General
These are for special riot police I believe. The heavy baton is probably to deal with mass crowds to attack police with improvised weapons like long wooden/bamboo polls and the like. And also to help quickly break down makeshift barricades.

Traditional police extending batons lack the reach or heft to do much about that, so the police end up stuck behind their shields taking a beating and unable to fight back without massively escalating to rubber or even live bullets, which is undesirable or are unable to quickly clear barricades.

The double handed design means these riot police will mostly work together with a conventional police shield line.

The shield wall takes the brunt against thrown objects, while the baton wielders would snap any long polls used to attack the shield wall, smash through barricades and beat down any violent protestor who gets too close.

These are specialist riot control tool, and won't be for general beat cops.
 

taxiya

Brigadier
Registered Member
These are for special riot police I believe. The heavy baton is probably to deal with mass crowds to attack police with improvised weapons like long wooden/bamboo polls and the like. And also to help quickly break down makeshift barricades.

Traditional police extending batons lack the reach or heft to do much about that, so the police end up stuck behind their shields taking a beating and unable to fight back without massively escalating to rubber or even live bullets, which is undesirable or are unable to quickly clear barricades.

The double handed design means these riot police will mostly work together with a conventional police shield line.

The shield wall takes the brunt against thrown objects, while the baton wielders would snap any long polls used to attack the shield wall, smash through barricades and beat down any violent protestor who gets too close.

These are specialist riot control tool, and won't be for general beat cops.

I agree. And that gives me the image of ancient infantry formation, shield men and long sword men.:D
The next natural step would be to introduce long pole armed with teaser at the tip. The pole will be used to keep any advancing rioters at distance when the "sword men" retreat into formation behind the shield men.
 
I agree. And that gives me the image of ancient infantry formation, shield men and long sword men.:D
The next natural step would be to introduce long pole armed with teaser at the tip. The pole will be used to keep any advancing rioters at distance when the "sword men" retreat into formation behind the shield men.

That already exists, it's called a cattle prod! Would just need a bit of reinforcement and extra reach.

These are for special riot police I believe. The heavy baton is probably to deal with mass crowds to attack police with improvised weapons like long wooden/bamboo polls and the like. And also to help quickly break down makeshift barricades.
...
The shield wall takes the brunt against thrown objects, while the baton wielders would snap any long polls used to attack the shield wall, smash through barricades and beat down any violent protestor who gets too close.
...

Maybe these sword batons can fight off long poles and actual swords or knives better but I don't see how they can clear barricades better. They are not that long and being blunt they can be grabbed by the opponent, unless they are electrified. Guess I'm not sold until I see them used successfully in action.

Based on photos of previous riots I think they would do well to improve their riot shields, I remember seeing a lot of broken ones.
 

MwRYum

Major
Maybe not, those guys in the pics don't look like they carry any guns.
According to the original post in Chinese, those are beat cops and that's their non-lethal equipment option. Well it makes sense because typically Chinese police don't encounter that many situation would require firearms - or by the ROE terms, to brandish firearms - to resolve a situation, armed crime is quite far and between, and Shenzhen (where those pics are taken) violent crime mostly only goes up to machete size if we talk about handheld weapons.

Sometimes back I did told you guys that in China, "size matters" and when that translate to police weapons, small service pistols and even the "newer" service revolver (which its performance is as dismal as the design is outdated) don't give police the psychological advantage - but I can expect the new "big stick" would give the advantage back to the police side now.

If they don't carry guns, they should at least carry tasers.
As much as I'd like to agree with you on this one, Taser doesn't possess that kind of intimidation factor in China as it'd be in the US, like I said before it's too small and "toy-ish" to make criminal to associate it with the pain it'd inflict, but that titanium baton (which is what the original post claimed) you'd immediately associate with bone-breaking and other physical pain.
 

Equation

Lieutenant General
As much as I'd like to agree with you on this one, Taser doesn't possess that kind of intimidation factor in China as it'd be in the US, like I said before it's too small and "toy-ish" to make criminal to associate it with the pain it'd inflict, but that titanium baton (which is what the original post claimed) you'd immediately associate with bone-breaking and other physical pain.

Sorry my friend I have to disagreed with you there, tasers may not seem intimidating but they are really deadly and when used the victim's will go in a near paralyze state that the other trouble makers will witness and start having second guessing about taking on the police.:D;)
 

dingyibvs

Junior Member
I totally agree with the taser pole phalanx idea, properly executed they'd be an almost unstoppable anti-riot formation.
 
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