TSG and Public
Order Selection
How public order policing is organised in England and Wales, what level 2 and level 3 mean, what full-time units such as the Met's Territorial Support Group do, the fitness standard and how serving officers get selected. From HMICFRS, the College of Policing and the London Assembly.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 18 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
Most public order work is done by level 2 trained officers in police support units (PSUs), called on alongside their normal role. To become level 2 you are selected by your force, pass training to the College's national public order curriculum and meet the College's recommended fitness level of 6.3. Full-time units, such as the Met's TSG, recruit from serving officers internally. HMICFRS reported a fall in level 2 officers from 20,234 to 18,351 between 2022 and 2024, so forces need volunteers.
Public order levels 1, 2 and 3
HMICFRS's glossary says "there are three levels of competency training of police public order public safety provided to officers in England and Wales". The labels are used loosely in conversation, so here is what they mean officially:
| Level | What it means (HMICFRS glossary) |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Not recognised within the College of Policing training curriculum, but sometimes used to describe officers employed full-time in public order public safety roles. |
| Level 2 | Trained and accredited to implement the full range of tactics in the College of Policing's national curriculum. These officers make up police support units. |
| Level 3 | Patrol officers with some training in passive or compliant crowd control and management, in situations that do not need enhanced personal protective equipment. Not trained to the full College curriculum. |
For a career move, level 2 is the one that matters: it is the accredited level that makes up police support units, and it is usually the entry requirement for full-time public order units.
Police support units
A police support unit is the building block of public order policing. HMICFRS defines it as "one inspector; three sergeants; 18 constables; and three drivers with protected personnel carriers". PSUs from different forces can work together under national mobilisation arrangements, which is how forces supported each other during the summer 2024 disorder.
In most forces, being level 2 trained is a skill you hold alongside your normal job. You stay on response, neighbourhood or another team and are rostered or called up for football, protests, events and disorder. That makes level 2 one of the most accessible specialist skills: you are not leaving your team, but it does mean short-notice changes to your shifts and rest days when demand spikes.
Full-time public order units, including the Met's TSG
Some forces run full-time units whose main job is public order and operational support. The best known is the Metropolitan Police's Territorial Support Group. According to the London Assembly (3 June 2025), the TSG "specialises in public order policing, including riots, large scale disorder and football crowds", and also does "forced entry into buildings, anti-terrorist arrests" and removing protesters from "lock-on" situations. It is "split into four 'areas' operating from separate bases in Alperton, Chadwell Heath, Catford, and Clapham", and is part of the Met's Taskforce unit (MO7).
The Met does not publish the TSG's internal selection process, and the London Assembly's Police and Crime Committee wrote in July 2025 that "publicly available information on the TSG is limited". Other forces' operational support units use different names and do different mixes of work. If a full-time unit is your goal, ask the unit directly what it looks for and whether it offers attachments.
The numbers: a skill forces are short of
HMICFRS's inspection of the response to the July and August 2024 disorder gives the clearest recent picture:
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Level 2 trained police support units required for England and Wales (Strategic Policing Requirement) | 297, plus 75 for London | HMICFRS, December 2024 |
| Level 3 basic deployment units required | 234 | HMICFRS, December 2024 |
| Officers with level 2 training, 30 July 2022 and 30 July 2024 | 20,234, then 18,351 | HMICFRS, December 2024 (NPoCC data) |
| Officers with level 3 training, same dates | 43,507, then 38,315 | HMICFRS, December 2024 (NPoCC data) |
| PSUs deployed during the summer 2024 disorder (Operation Navette) | 1,622, about 40,000 officer days | HMICFRS, December 2024 |
| Peak public order deployment in a single day (10 August 2024) | 6,675 officers | HMICFRS, December 2024 (NPoCC data) |
HMICFRS said it "wanted to understand why there had been such a significant reduction" in trained officers, "but senior leaders we spoke with were unable to explain it". It also noted that a 2016 Home Office exercise found the police "could only mobilise 273 of the 297 PSUs required". For an officer thinking about level 2, the message is simple: forces want volunteers.
Fitness: the 6.3 standard
The College of Policing recommends Level 6.3 on the 15m shuttle run for police support unit officers, with a treadmill alternative of 10 minutes 40 seconds. That is above the 5.4 every officer needs for personal safety training. The College says its specialist standards were based on physiological data from officers doing training exercises that replicated the role's real demands.
Expect the standard to be tested seriously. HMICFRS reported in 2024 that "some commanders told us they are concerned that the fitness test for level 2 officers is set too low and fails to accurately assess their capability to carry out the role", and recommended a review of public order training at all levels, "including an assessment of the adequacy of the current fitness test for level 2 officers". The standard could rise in future; train above it.
We could not find an official national shield run or equipment test for public order selection. Some forces add practical assessments locally; ask yours. Our specialist fitness standards guide has a phased plan from 5.4 to 6.3 and beyond.
Public order training
All public order training follows the College's national police public order public safety training curriculum (NPPOPSTC). The APP says it "provides the relevant detail for initial POPS training, refresher training and accreditation or reaccreditation", that forces "should ensure that all POPS officers are trained in accordance with the NPPOPSTC requirements, licensing requirements and associated standards", and that a chief officer lead (assistant chief constable or equivalent) is responsible for it.
On content, HMICFRS found in 2024 that "the core training for PSU commanders and level 2 officers retains a strong focus on dealing with disorder", including "serious violence, along with tactics for petrol bombs and other projectiles". Its 2021 protest inspection found PSU training focused largely on the worst-case scenario. Unlike level 3, level 2 covers situations that need enhanced personal protective equipment (HMICFRS glossary), so arrive fit.
How selection works
There is no national selection process for level 2 or for full-time units. Based on the published material, expect some or all of:
- An internal application or expression of interest, with line manager support.
- The fitness test at the College's recommended 6.3, or your force's standard.
- Initial level 2 training to the national curriculum, with assessment.
- For full-time units, an interview, usually marked against the Competency and Values Framework, with questions on use of force, teamwork, your conduct under provocation and why you want the role.
Public order units work in close teams under intense public and media scrutiny, so expect questions that test restraint and your understanding of the rights to protest as well as your ability to act decisively. Our original practice questions are in specialist role interview questions and answers.
If you are a sergeant or inspector: commander roles
Public order command is a separate accredited route. The College's APP says bronze public order commanders and public order public safety advisers "must complete first aid training, public and personal safety training, a multistage fitness test (or approved alternative) to level 6.3 and Level 2 public order training annually". Gold and silver commanders must observe level 2 tactics at least once a year as part of reaccreditation. Accreditation is by portfolio, assessed by operationally competent peers and reviewed by an internal verifier.
The College's vetting guidance lists public order and public safety commanders and advisers among the posts that need management vetting.
How to prepare
Our practical guidance:
- Get to 6.3 with room to spare. Test yourself now and build up; aim above the standard, not at it.
- Tell your supervisor you want level 2. Ask when the next initial course runs and what your force's selection involves.
- Know the law. Public Order Act offences, breach of the peace and your powers at protests. Our public order offences guide covers the offences.
- Collect examples of staying calm under provocation, working as a tight team and making a proportionate decision quickly.
- For a full-time unit, ask for an attachment and talk to officers about shift patterns, mutual aid and time away from home.
What we could not verify
- The Met's internal selection process and any fitness standard above 6.3 for the TSG.
- An official national shield run or equipment-based test for public order selection.
- The length of the initial level 2 course, which the public APP does not state.
- How often level 2 refresher training must be done nationally; the APP refers to the curriculum, which is not public.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between level 1, level 2 and level 3 public order?
HMICFRS explains that level 2 officers are trained and accredited to use the full range of tactics in the College of Policing's curriculum; level 3 patrol officers have some training in passive or compliant crowd control without enhanced protective equipment; and level 1 is not recognised in the College curriculum, though it is sometimes used for officers employed full-time in public order roles.
What fitness level do public order officers need?
The College of Policing recommends Level 6.3 on the 15m shuttle run for police support unit officers, with a treadmill alternative of 10 minutes 40 seconds. Bronze public order commanders and advisers must also pass a fitness test to 6.3 each year. Forces decide how to apply the standard.
What does the Met's TSG do?
According to the London Assembly (June 2025), the Territorial Support Group specialises in public order policing, including riots, large scale disorder and football crowds, and also does forced entry into buildings, anti-terrorist arrests and removing protesters from lock-on situations. It works in four areas from bases in Alperton, Chadwell Heath, Catford and Clapham, and is part of the Met's Taskforce (MO7).
How many officers are in a police support unit?
HMICFRS defines a PSU as one inspector, three sergeants, 18 constables and three drivers with protected personnel carriers.
How do you join the TSG?
The Met does not publish a full selection process, and the London Assembly noted in 2025 that publicly available information on the TSG is limited. Full-time public order units generally recruit serving officers internally; expect level 2 public order training, the 6.3 fitness standard and an internal selection process. Check the Met's internal adverts.
Is public order training a full-time job?
Usually not. In most forces, level 2 public order is a skill officers hold alongside their main role, and they are called on for events, protests and disorder. Some forces, such as the Met with its TSG, have full-time units.
Are there fewer public order officers than before?
HMICFRS reported in December 2024 that officers with level 2 training fell from 20,234 to 18,351, and level 3 from 43,507 to 38,315, between July 2022 and July 2024. Senior leaders could not explain the fall. The Strategic Policing Requirement asks for 297 level 2 PSUs for England and Wales, plus 75 for London.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 18 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so check the source for the date you are reading this. Where we could not confirm something from an official or independent source, the page says so rather than guessing. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.
- HMICFRS glossary: Public order public safety training (9 December 2024) : levels 1, 2 and 3 (accessed 18 October 2026)
- HMICFRS glossary: Police support unit (9 December 2024) : composition of a PSU (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing APP: Public order public safety, curriculum and training : NPPOPSTC; licensing; bronze commander and POPSA annual requirements including 6.3 and level 2 training (accessed 18 October 2026)
- HMICFRS: An inspection of the police response to the public disorder in July and August 2024, tranche 1 (18 December 2024) : SPR requirement, officer numbers 2022 to 2024, Operation Navette, fitness test concerns and recommendation (accessed 18 October 2026)
- HMICFRS: Getting the balance right? An inspection of how effectively the police deal with protests (March 2021) : PSU training focus (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Job-related fitness standards : PSU 6.3; treadmill 10 minutes 40 seconds (accessed 18 October 2026)
- London Assembly press release: How the Met's Territorial Support Group is policing London (3 June 2025) : TSG role, bases, Taskforce (MO7) (accessed 18 October 2026)
- London Assembly Police and Crime Committee letter on the Met's TSG (July 2025, PDF) : publicly available information on the TSG is limited (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Vetting authorised professional practice (May 2025, PDF) : public order commanders and advisers need MV (5.4.2.f) (accessed 18 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
More in this guide series
Practice, fitness and pay
Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or produced by the College of Policing, the Home Office or any police force. Specialist selection is run by each force (or regional collaboration) and criteria, tenure rules, fitness standards and course lengths differ, so check your force's current advert and policy before you apply. Practice questions on this site are original PolicePay material, not real selection or exam content. Details apply to England and Wales unless stated. Details are as checked on 18 October 2026.