Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting of Tasmania Police Constable Keith Smith. The role played by the Special Operations Group (SOG), who were present at the scene, will be a key focus in the coming days and weeks.
What Is the Special Operations Group?
Tasmania’s Special Operations Group is a tactical policing unit comparable to elite response teams in other states. In 2024, it transitioned from a part-time structure to a full-time unit with 20 officers based in both northern and southern regions of the state.
The SOG handles high-risk operations, including building breaches, sieges, drug lab raids, and other complex police responses. Informally, the group is sometimes called “the Soggies” or even “the Sons of God.”
Police Minister Felix Ellis said the move to a full-time unit has “significantly strengthened” Tasmania Police’s ability to respond to dangerous incidents.
Police Association of Tasmania president Shane Tilley described SOG members as “the elite” of the force, trained in both lethal and non-lethal tactics.
“They may be tasked with perimeter security or may directly engage in operations, depending on the situation,” he said.
SOG’s Increasing Involvement in Day-to-Day Policing
Commissioner Donna Adams revealed the SOG has taken part in over 800 operations in 18 months, including supporting routine policing such as responding to shoplifting or assisting with drug-related searches.
Mr Tilley said the group is often called in to support police when intelligence suggests a risk of escalation.
“It’s a blessing to have them more available now,” he said, noting that SOG support is usually requested when frontline officers believe they might face resistance or danger.
SOG officers, like other tactical units nationwide, are also equipped with heavily armoured BearCat vehicles to aid in high-risk operations.
Unanswered Questions About North Motton Incident
Tasmania Police have yet to release full details about why the SOG was present at the North Motton property on Monday, where officers were executing a court warrant and where Constable Smith was fatally shot.
Commissioner Adams told reporters that while the SOG had been requested for the job, they remained at the bottom of the property’s driveway while two uniformed officers approached the residence. It was during this approach that Constable Smith was shot.
She confirmed the SOG responded immediately, shooting the alleged offender in the hand and arresting him after they, too, were threatened.
“Had they not been there, we might have been facing more deaths,” she said.
She did not clarify why SOG assistance was deemed necessary for the warrant execution, citing the need for a thorough investigation.
A police spokesperson declined to comment on specific SOG deployment strategies due to operational security concerns.
According to Mr Tilley, this was not classified as a formal SOG operation.
“They were there in a support capacity, not leading the job,” he said, adding that the SOG responded to the unfolding crisis within seconds.
He also emphasised that background checks and risk assessments are typically done before any warrant execution to understand potential threats.
