Special Security Readiness Team


The Special Security Readiness Team, also known as SeRT, is a unit of the Japanese Ministry of Justice's Correction Bureau. It is based at the Tokyo Detention House.
According to Norio Saeki, Director of the Correction Bureau, SeRT is tasked to handle anti-riot and disaster operations at CB-staffed facilities without diverting manpower from various police or fire departments. It allowed the Correction Bureau to have a full-time anti-riot response unit as the CB formerly used temporary anti-riot teams consisting of CB guards and to ensure security of CB-staffed correctional facilities.
Captain Hiromichi Ouchi is the SeRT's commanding officer when the unit was founded. Captain Shinjiro Nagase was the SeRT Deputy Captain.

History

The SeRT was established on April 1, 2019, at the grounds of the Tokyo Detention House. On June 3, 2019, the unit was awarded the commander's flag by Minister of Justice Takashi Yamashita.
SeRT was called in to provide assistance in the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis in 2019 in Suzaka, Nagano Prefecture a few months after the unit was created. During the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan from 2020 to 2023, SeRT is tasked to oversee anti-COVID-19 infection measures at CB-staffed facilities.
In the aftermath of the 2021 Atami landslide, a humanitarian operation was underway in Atami, Shizuoka. 19 officers were dispatched to work with Atami City officials and the Atami Police Station on July 18 to provide support in traffic duties and protection of restricted areas. After Typhoon Hagibis made landfall at Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture, 13 SeRT officers were deployed to Suzaka, Nagano to provide assistance for waste disposal and provide facility security from October 19 to 23. From October 23, 14 SeRT officers were deployed to the city up to October 27.
On December 2, 2021, SeRT has publicly shown a Mazda CX-8 that would serve as a commander vehicle, equipped with red emergency lights, a front sensor, a radio and a loudspeaker microphone. It was previously delivered to the Ministry of Justice in November 2021.
On April 19, 2022, SeRT held an induction ceremony to welcome new officers into the unit.
In January 2024, SeRT officers were dispatched in search and rescue operations at the Noto Peninsula after the earthquake.

Organization

SeRT is composed of 56 officers, including the captain in charge.
On April 19, 2022, 58 officers are assigned to SeRT.

Tasks

SeRT is tasked with the following responsibilities:
  1. Riots and other serious incidents such as prison breaks and attacks inside prisons, detention centers and juvenile training schools.
  2. Anti-terrorist operations in and around prisons, detention centers and juvenile training schools.
  3. Dispatch to disaster areas for humanitarian operations, including the operation of emergency shelters.
  4. Conduct disaster relief operations in correctional facilities after a tsunami or an earthquake under a scale intensity of six or higher.

    Equipment

SeRT officers are equipped with tear gas, anti-riot shields and tear gas grenade launchers.
The unit also has the Mazda CX-8 as the commander's car.