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.

For most of their existence, they were mostly relegated to ceremonial duties, leading to them being given the derogatory nickname of the "Chocolate Soldiers" by the white policemen.

[11] Foreign volunteers, mostly American veterans of the Vietnam War, would also be admitted to the unit providing they passed security clearance.

[10] They became known as the BSAP's "mailed fist" because they operated similarly to the Selous Scouts and trained at the Rhodesian School of Infantry.

[14] The Black Boots would gain a tough reputation in the latter years of the Bush War with the Rhodesian Sunday Mail accusing them of being "terr hungry" for their apparent enjoyment of killing suspected terrorists.

In the mid 1980s, the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe announced that he would be integrating Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) guerrillas who fought in the Bush War with the Black Boots over concerns by the police that it would dilute the quality of the force.

[20] The Black Boots were also accused of taking part in extrajudicial political intimidation campaigns alongside members of the ruling ZANU-PF to attack supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai.