| Police Support Unit | |
|---|---|
 The Police Support Unit's patch under the British South Africa Police of Rhodesia. | |
| Active | 1898 - present |
| Country | Zimbabwe |
| Agency | Zimbabwe Republic Police |
| Type | Paramilitary |
| Common name | Black Boots |
| Abbreviation | PSU |
| Notables | |
| Significant operation(s) | Rhodesian Bush War |
The Police Support Unit, also known by their nickname of the Black Boots, is a paramilitary wing of the Zimbabwe Republic Police. They were founded as a native police force but later developed into a counter-insurgency unit of the British South Africa Police in Rhodesia during the Rhodesian Bush War.[1] The unit was the only paramilitary unit retained by the Zimbabwe Republic Police after the country's reconstitution as Zimbabwe.
The unit gained notoriety for being an effective counter-terrorist force but received criticism in the latter stages of the Bush War as well as under Zimbabwean control for utilising brutal tactics against their targets.
- ^ McLaughlin, Peter (2016). The Rhodesian War Fifty Years On (From UDI). Pen and Sword Military. ISBN 9781473860759.