The VIP Protection Unit (

Abbreviation An abbreviation (from Latin ''brevis'', meaning ''short'') is a shortened form of a word or phrase, by any method. It may consist of a group of letters or words taken from the full version of the word or phrase; for example, the word ''abbrevia ...

: VIPPU; ), otherwise known as G4 (originally Section G, Division 4) is a branch of the

Hong Kong Police Force The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) is the primary law enforcement, investigative agency, and largest Hong Kong Disciplined Services, disciplined service under the Security Bureau (Hong Kong), Security Bureau of Hong Kong. The Royal Hong Kong Po ...

Introduction

The original name had been given to the unit since it is the 4th division of the former Royal Hong Kong Police Force's Special Branch. Following the disbanding of the RHKP Special Branch in 1995, the VIP Unit was reassigned under the Security Wing of the Hong Kong Police Force after the handover in 1997.

Training

It has primary responsibility for the personal safety of HKSAR Chief Executive and his/her core family (it was Governor and his family before the Handover in 1997), high-rank government officials,

VIPs A very important person or personage (VIP or V.I.P.) is a person who is accorded special privileges due to their high social status, influence or importance. The term was not common until sometime after World War 2 by RAF pilots. Examples incl ...

and visiting dignitaries to

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

, therefore the training techniques taught to all VIPPU officers include VIP protection and unarmed combat. In addition they also undergo training in firearms, crowd control, self-defense, tactical driving, physical and tactical training, Basic Trauma Life Support and English and Putonghua fluency. They also practice simulation exercises with the PTU and the SDU.

Vehicles

*Luxury bullet-proofed armoured cars are often deployed in protective missions.

Weapons

The standard issue sidearms for all VIPPU is the

Glock 17 Glock is a brand of polymer-Receiver (firearms), framed, Recoil operation#Short recoil operation, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H., Glock Ges.m.b.H. The ...

and the

Glock 19 Glock is a brand of polymer- framed, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H. The firearm entered Austrian military and police service by 1982 after it was the ...

for females or officers with smaller hands while the short version of the

Heckler & Koch MP5 The Heckler & Koch MP5 (german: Maschinenpistole 5) is a 9x19mm Parabellum submachine gun, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch. There are over 100 variants and clones of the MP5, ...

is the standard SMG and could be deployed in multiple variants, such as the K, K-PDW and Coffer. Apart from firearms, ASP expandable batons or a

Taser A taser is an electroshock weapon used to incapacitate people, allowing them to be approached and handled in an unresisting and thus safe manner. It is sold by Axon, formerly TASER International. It fires two small barbed darts intended to ...

are carried for less-than-lethal options to the VIPPU officers. Flashbangs and

smoke grenade Smoke grenades used at demonstrations in Paris, 2008 upBritish L83A1 Smoke Grenade manufactured in May 2008. This grenade has already been used. A smoke grenade is a canister-type grenade used as a signaling device, target or landing zone mark ...

s are also used to provide cover for escorting the VIP when being attacked by intruders.

Known involvement

The VIP Protection Unit are involved in protecting

from any kind of disturbances, including demonstrations in the

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...

.Baptism of fire.
Retrieved on 28 August 2008.

References

{{reflist 1972 establishments in Hong Kong Hong Kong Police Force Protective security units Organizations established in 1972