Spezialeinsatzkommando
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Spezialeinsatzkommandos (SEK) (previously also known as Sondereinsatzkommando) are the SWAT units of the German federal state police forces. The comparable unit of the German Federal Police is the GSG 9.
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[edit] Organization
The organization of special police forces varies from state to state. Whilst most states have installed one SEK in their capital, some states took regional crime focuses into account and established several SEK units in major cities, like the North Rhine-Westphalia Police or Rheinland-Pfalz State Police did. The Bavarian State Police and Hessen State Police have two SEKs each, one covering the north and one covering the south of the state. The SEK can be attached to the Bereitschaftspolizei or to a big regional police headquarters. The trend in most states is, however, to have the SEK subordinate to the LKA, whenever possible in a unit also comprising the Mobiles Einsatzkommando (MEK). The internal organisation of SEKs rests on the units themselves and therefore differs as well.
The SEK of South Bavaria has an alpine component and the SEK units of Bremen and Hamburg have elements for maritime tasks.
[edit] Eligibility and training
Any state police officer is eligible to apply for service in an SEK but it is a common rule only to consider applications from officers with at least two years duty experience. The age limit is mostly between 23 and 35 years, whilst operatives have to leave the entry teams when reaching the age of 42 (or 45). Generally, both sexes can be recruited, however, only a few policewomen have been able to handle the extensive and challenging tests. At the moment, only the SEK units of Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein and South-Hesse have women in their ranks.
The requirements mainly demand physical and psychological strength, discernment and capacity for teamwork, and only up to 30 percent of all candidates pass the tests. The length of the training necessary to become an operative in a SEK unit differs from state to state but is generally five to eight months long.
[edit] Missions
Mainly unrecognized by media and public, the most tasks of the SEK units are execution of Arrest warrants and dealing with barricaded suspects. However, hostage sieges, kidnapping and raids do belong to their tasks as well as other scenarios like personal security detail for VIPs or witnesses. Since the 1970s, the SEKs of each state have handled several thousand deployments.
[edit] Equipment
Unlike the State Police, an SEK is totally independent when it comes to choice of equipment. The basic gear of every officer is - among a sidearm - a submachine gun, most likely HKs MP5. Other models in the weaponry can be assault rifles like the HK G36 or the Austrian Steyr Mannlicher AUG rifle, and shotguns of different type. The mainly used Sniper rifles are the HKPSG1 or sniper weapon systems manufactured by Blaser, Unique Alpine and Accuracy International. Some units own specialized weapon systems like the HK G8 machine gun or the French PGM Hecate II .50 cal sniper rifle.
[edit] "MEK"s and "VG"s
Mobile operational units (Mobile Einsatzkommandos) operate hand-in-hand with the SEK. These units are specialized for surveillance, quick arrests and situations which become 'mobile'. Some SEKs also have specialized Negotiation groups (Verhandlungsgruppen).
[edit] Trivia
The SEK units of states which belonged to the German Democratic Republic prior to 1990, do partially consist of officers who were members of the East Germany's GSG 9 counterpart, a unit called Diensteinheit IX.
Unlike many US-American Swat operatives, SEK members always operate masked to protect their identities.
German SEK units are always "full time" units whose members aren't active in regular service (e.g., patrol service) anymore.
On many occasions, SEK officers appear plainclothed on the scene, only wearing their special protective gear and carrying their weapons. This happens when off-duty SEK officers are called to a crime scene.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Polizei.de (German)
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