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Main Article: S.T.A.R.S.
In 1996, The R.P.D established the S.T.A.R.S. (Special Tactics And Rescue Squad)
in order to combat several issues including terrorism, training in explosives, sniper training, first-aid, negotiation, handling
K9 units, and other areas.
Select Police Force Division (SPF)
This unit was created by Chief Irons shortly after S.T.A.R.S. was disbanded. Their
duties were SWAT-based and were to serve as the R.P.D's means of armed response. They were featured in the opening movie of
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis; Leon S. Kennedy's uniform resembles the ones that Select Police Force Officers wore (except, for
the use of a helmet, army boots and another minor differences); Leon Kennedy and Kevin Ryman were former operators of the
SPF. The SPF did not last long after its establishment as most of its operatives were killed by the zombies and other monsters
that were loose in the city during the initial stages of the outbreak. Survivors (if any) were dead after a nuclear strike
was launched at Raccoon City.
Equipment
Weapons - The sidearms of the R.P.D. are similar to those used by S.T.A.R.S., such as Walther handguns, the
Beretta M92F (its customized version "Samurai Edge" issued to S.T.A.R.S officers), Browning HP, and Heckler & Koch VP70.
Other weapons include custom .44 magnum or .357 magnum revolvers (like the Colt Python), the Desert Eagle gun, Grenade Launchers
like the M79, and Shotguns, like the Remington M1100-P, or the Benelli M3S. Some officers often carry Combat Knives. SPF Officers
are seen wielding Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine guns in the intro of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis.
Other Equipment - S.T.A.R.S.
officers and members of the SPF wear military-like gear, like bulletproof vests, boots and helmets, in contrast to most R.P.D.
officers, who wear regular police uniforms.
S.T.A.R.S.
This article is related to the Resident Evil series. S.T.A.R.S. is not related to S.T.A.R. Labs. (Spoilers)
S.T.A.R.S. (Special Tactics And Rescue Squad) is a fictional law-enforcing task force that appears in Capcom's Resident Evil
survival horror franchise. The unit serves as a fictional equalivent to the actual SWAT organization (which also exists in
the Resident Evil universe, as member Barry Burton used to be SWAT operative). While the five main characters in the original
Resident Evil (Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Barry Burton, Rebecca Chambers, and Albert Wesker) were all members of S.T.A.R.S.,
the team for the most part served as cannon fodder against the various monsters and creatures featured in the game.
Only
eleven of the team's twelve members appeared in the original game. Edward Dewey, Bravo Team's pilot, was only mentioned in
the game's instruction manual, but not actually featured in the game. For a long time it was assumed that the disembodied
hand found by Joseph in the game's intro belonged to Edward, but a few retroactive changes were made in order to include the
character for a small role in the prequel Resident Evil 0 (in the Resident Evil remake, the dead pilot is now identified as
Kevin).
In Resident Evil 2 (starring Chris' sister Claire and RPD rookie officer Leon Kennedy), all of the S.T.A.R.S. operatives
from the original game (excluding Rebecca), can be seen in a photograph located in the S.T.A.R.S. office on the second floor
of the Raccoon City police station. They were pictured along with two previously unseen members. It is generally accepted
that these two are simply early versions of Kevin Dooley and Edward Dewey from Resident Evil 0.
History
Members of S.T.A.R.S. in Raccoon City prior to the mansion incident.
A special unit of the Raccoon Police
Department, it was founded in 1996 in Raccoon City in order to combat the increasing rate of terrorism and cult-related crimes.
The team was formed as part of Mayor Warrens' "A Bright 21st Century for Raccoon" campaign funded by the Umbrella Corporation.
It's comprised mainly of twelve members with two teams; Alpha Team (led by Albert Wesker) and Bravo Team (led by Enrico Marini).
Two
years after its formation, S.T.A.R.S. was deployed by the police to investigate a series of brutal homicides, that had evidence
of cannibalism, that had taken place in the Arklay Mountains on the outskirts of the city. The Bravo Team was sent in on July
23, 1998 to investigate these incidents. However, contact with Bravo Team was lost and on the following day, Alpha Team was
dispatched to follow-up on Bravo Team's mission. Their probe of the area led to a mansion (actually the Arklay Research Facility),
where various mutated creatures (including the mansion's residents) had been transformed into undead creatures as a result
of a viral outbreak. Moreover, the members of Alpha Team also found the remains of some of their Bravo Team compatriots, while
finding others on the brink of death (with the exception of Rebecca Chambers, who makes it out alive). It was revealed that
the experiments in the mansion were conducted by the international Umbrella Corporation and that the team's leader, Albert
Wesker, was a double agent working for Umbrella, who orchestrated the deaths of his subordinates in order to collect test
battle data for Umbrella's Bio-Organic Weapons.
The team managed to thwart Wesker's plot by destroying the T-002 Tyrant
prototype. Only Alpha Team members Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, Barry Burton and Brad Vickers, along with Bravo Team survivor
Rebecca Chambers, managed to escape the mansion alive.
After their return to civilization, S.T.A.R.S. requested a full-scale
investigation of Umbrella's activities. However, many found their outlandish story too unbelievable and the chief of police,
Brian Irons (who was secretly under Umbrella's payroll) disbanded the team officially, replacing the unit with the RPD Select
Police Force unit to serve as the city's armed response unit and as an equal to SWAT. The surviving members of S.T.A.R.S.
banded together and participated in Anti-Umbrella operations around the globe with the exception of Brad Vickers, who refused
to participate in their investigations and was killed during the Raccoon City outbreak.
Members
Official Raccoon City S.T.A.R.S. Badge
S.T.A.R.S. is comprised of two different teams, Alpha and Bravo,
plus an additional helicopter pilot (Kevin Dooley) for a total of 13 members. Each team is organized based on the tactical
squad formation, with five field operatives and a helicopter pilot. The operatives are assigned to one of the following positions:
Leader (field commander of the team), Pointman (field scouting and reconnaissance), Backup Man (provides assistance to the
Pointman), Omni Man (in charge of vehicle and weapon maintanance) and Rear Security (in charge of establishing contact between
HQ and the helicopter, as well as treating injured teammates). There is a member of both teams assigned to one of those positions,
with an additional Rear Security operative in both teams in charge of piloting the helicopter.
Alpha Team
Albert Wesker - Leader
Chris Redfield - Pointman, Marksman
Barry Burton - Backup Man, Weapons Specialist
Joseph Frost - Omni Man (deceased)
Jill Valentine - Rear Security, B&A Specialist
Brad Vickers - Rear Security,
Pilot (deceased)
Bravo Team
Enrico Marini - Leader (deceased)
Kenneth J. Sullivan - Pointman (deceased)
Richard Aiken - Backup
Man (deceased)
Forest Speyer - Omni Man, Marksman (deceased)
Edward Dewey - Rear Security, Pilot (deceased)
Rebecca
Chambers - Rear Security, Medic
While not a S.T.A.R.S. operative, RPD officer Kevin
Dooley also served as a substitute
pilot for Bravo Team during the Arklay incident. He is deceased.
Equipment
Weapons - The standard sidearm of the unit is a custom version of the M92F known as the M92FS S.T.A.R.S. Special
or Samurai Edge. It was designed by Joe Kendo, brother of the Kendo Gun Shop's owner, Robert Kendo (who is a close friend
of Barry Burton). A standard-issue model was distributed among the members of S.T.A.R.S., including specialized versions for
Chris, Jill and Wesker. Barry's version of the gun was modified to fire .40 S&W rounds with burst fire capability instead
of the standard parabellum rounds. Other weapons used by S.T.A.R.S. included Barry's custom .44 magnum revolver, Forest's
Grenade Launcher, Edward's rifle and two customized Assault Shotguns wielded by both Richard Aitken and Joseph Frost. Chris
and Jill also wielded their personal survival knives during the Mansion Incident. Outfit - Each member of the unit wears an
undershirt with the S.T.A.R.S. emblem over the right sleeve and a bullet-resistant tactical vest suited for each operative's
needs and specialty. For example, Chris' vest has a knife holder over its left shoulder, while Rebecca's vest has a red cross
on its back. Each member is allowed to choose their color for his/her outfit. A prototype S.T.A.R.S. uniform was also designed
consisting of green fatigues and a black vest with added pouches and the S.T.A.R.S. logo on the back, but this outfit was
never formally adopted due to the team's demise. Instead, Chris wore the only known prototype during his mission in Rockfort
Island and Antarctica.
Helicopter - There were two UH-1-model helicopters assigned to the S.T.A.R.S. unit, with one allocated
to each team. Brad Vickers was assigned as Alpha Team's pilot, with Edward Dewey assigned as Bravo Team's pilot. One of the
RPD's pilots, Kevin Dooley, had been called in on several occasions to contribute support to both Alpha and Bravo as the situation
required.
CCD Camcoder - Kenneth and Joseph had camcoders,br> attached on their left shoulders that recored sounds
and images on DV Tapes.
In other media
The Resident Evil novelizations by S.D. Perry offers a slightly different backstory to S.T.A.R.S. than
the original games. S.T.A.R.S. is portrayed as a larger and much older organization (having been founded in 1968 in New York)
than potrayed in the game. The Raccoon City branch (in Pennsylvania) is merely one of several S.T.A.R.S. units established
within the United States, with another branch established in Exeter, Maine, as seen in the original novels; Caliban Cove and
Underworld. With the coming of the second Resident Evil game, the novel's plotline was adapted to the game. Future games are
expected to have several S.T.A.R.S. members, and facilities. The movie Resident Evil: Apocalypse also featured only an original
S.T.A.R.S. member Jill Valentine, as for members written specifically for the film, the most prominent one being Peyton Wells.
Original characters from S.D. Perry's novels
John Andrews - A man with "muscles on his muscles". Formerly a communications
expert and field scout for the Exeter S.T.A.R.S. Karen Driver Steve Lopez David Trapp - 30 years old, from the
S.T.A.R.S. Exeter Branch in Maine. He works hard to get the information that the team needs. David is articulate but doesn't
find himself able to talk often in front of people he doesn't know. He travelled to Caliban Cove, with Bravo Team survivor
Rebecca Chambers, and a small team. After escaping from that ordeal, he then began a mission to Utah, where he and Rebecca
were joined by other members of Exeter and Raccoon S.T.A.R.S.
Despite the name "David Trapp" never being mentioned in
the videogame, all of his actions in the novels correspond to the "mysterious" help the characters receive during the games.
The books explain that the maps found in several places in the mansion and in town, as well as several strategically placed
First Aid Sprays, boxes of ammunition and other valuable items, are the result of his actions
Members
Leon S. Kennedy
Brian Irons - He is the corrupt Chief of the R.P.D, a double agent working for Umbrella Corporation,
and he is a taxidermist too. Initially, he covered all of Umbrella's activities to the general public an even the Department,
in exchange of large amounts of money; but, after the outbreak he goes insane and starts to hunt down his fellow officers
(and the daughter of Mayor Michael Warren, who has left with him to take care of), and blames Umbrella for destroying "his
town". He later is killed by a Umbrella creature, which varies depending the scenario, one being several of William Birkin's
embryos.
Leon S. Kennedy - Rookie Police Officer, arrived in Raccoon City a few hours after the T-virus outbreak; he had
to face the outbreak horrors in his first day as a cop. Marvin Branagh - Police Officer met by Leon (or Claire, depending
the scenario played) when he was dying, he appears later as a zombie; in Resident Evil Outbreak File #2, he is the leader
of the officers that are struggling against the zombie invasion that threatens the R.P.D.
Kevin Ryman - Police Officer
who failed his attempt to enter S.T.A.R.S. twice, he is playable in Resident Evil Outbreak and Resident Evil Outbreak File
#2. Rita - A blonde policewoman who plays a relatively large role in the scenario "Desperate Times" of Resident Evil Outbreak
File #2.
The S.T.A.R.S. officers were members of the Raccoon Police Department as well, until the unit was disbanded by
Chief Irons.
Paramilitary units
The Raccoon Police Department also had two different private paramilitary units, each established
for a different purpose.
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