S.T.A.R.S. (Special Tactics and Rescue Service) is a special group designed to handle extreme and dangerous situations similar to a S.W.A.T. team.  In 1967, it was founded in New York to deal with terrorism.  In 1972, a Raccoon City branch was founded.  At first, it started slowly but later became a major part of law enforcement.  The S.T.A.R.S. office was built inside the Raccoon City Police Building.  Eventually, Albert Wesker was promoted and took charge.  Later the unit became made up of 12 people in all.  It was divided into two teams, Alpha and Bravo.  Each team was made up of 6 people.  Alpha, led by Wesker was above Bravo, led by Enrico Marini.  However, Bravo team replaced its current medic, George Scott, with 18 year-old medical genius, Rebecca Chambers.  In the past, the team had been very successful in mission and situations.
    Eventually, on May 20, 1998, the body of a young woman is discovered in the Marble River.  Later, more murders occurred in the same fashion.  The victims were apparently eaten.  With this problem becoming out of hand, the S.T.A.R.S. were put on the investigation.  On July 23, 1998, Bravo team disappeared while searching the area for the cannibal like people in Raccoon Forest.  On that same day Alpha Team is sent in to search for the missing Bravos.  After a long night, only 5 of the 12 S.T.A.R.S. operatives return.  According to survivors, Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Rebecca Chambers, Barry Burton, and Brad Vickers, they came across the old Spencer Estate while in search of Bravo Team.  In the process, they uncovered the mangled body of Edward Dewey, Bravo's pilot.  At that point they were attacked by some mutated dogs and Joseph Frost, Alpha's vehicle specialist, was killed.  Later on, inside the mansion, Chris Redfield found Rebecca Chambers, the sole survivor from Bravo team.
    By the end of the night the team had uncovered the bodies of Bravo members Enrico Marini, Richard Aiken, Forest Speyer, and Kenneth J. Sullivan.  They also uncovered a plot that Captain Albert Wesker was trying to help the Umbrella Company cover up a spill of some disease at the mansion.  He is reportedly killed in action.  On July 28, 1998, S.T.A.R.S. is taken off the case.