Groupes d'Intervention de la Police Nationale

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= Groupes d'Intervention de la Police Nationale


caption=
country= France
type= Special Forces
branch= French National Police
dates= 1972 - Present
specialization= Domestic Counter-Terrorism and Law Enforcement
command_structure=
size= 170 Operators in 9 units
current_commander=
garrison=
ceremonial_chief=
nickname=
motto= "La cohésion fait la force " ("cohesion makes the force.")
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=Neuilly hostage crisis
Anti-Action Directe arrests
Anti-GIA operations
2005 Paris Riots
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=
decorations=

GIPN is an initialism for "Groupes d'Intervention de la Police Nationale" or French National Police Intervention Groups. Its motto is " La cohésion fait la force " or "cohesion makes the force."

History

After the tragic events of the Munich massacre in which the Israeli team was kidnapped and then killed by Palestinian commandos, the various European police forces decided to form special units able to fight against forms of terrorism and for other crises such as excessive use of force, taking of hostages, escorts etc.

The first GIPN was created on October 27, 1972 and could only intervene at the request of judges or prosecutors. Composed of thirty men who have the latest weapons and sophisticated equipment.

The National Police initially formed 11 intervention groups but later reduced them to 7 by 1985. This was then expanded to 9 with the creation GIPN units in Réunion in 1992 and in New Caledonia in 1993.

All the GIPN are in contact with each other and after each mission they send their synthesis and their strategies with the other groups to share knowledge and if it is needed their intervention techniques; to be utilised be by another group.

The Ministerial Circular of August 4, 1995 established the policies of the use of the GIPN: organization, rules of engagement, territorial competence, missions, principles of actions, implemented, means and coordination.

Recruitment

Organised at the national level by the DCSP, the selections take place once have place a year and roll within a structure DFPN (ENP Saint-Malo or Nimes) with the assistance of a group of psychologists.

All the National policemen and senior police officers apply, as long as they meet the administrative criteria a minimum of 5 years of service and be no more than 35 years old.

. About fifty candidates are selected and conveyed to the selected site where, during a first week, they must pass a series of events, records review, personality tests, combat ability, claustrophobia, giddiness, athletic ability, swimming etc….

At the end of this first week, part of the candidates are eliminated, and them others continue with mental tests during 4 days.

After finishing these tests, a score of candidates will be admitted into the GIPN where their training now starts.

Organisation

The GIPN are units of the Central Directorate of Public Security (Fr: Direction Centrale de la Sécurité Publique or DCSP) which is the uniformed patrol and response branch of the French National Police. The DCSP has competency in 75 departments and within the territorial services of 9 large provincial towns and overseas (Lille, Strasbourg, Lyon, Nice, Marseilles, Bordeaux, Rennes, La Réunion and the New Caledonia).

RAID is a similar intervention force directly under the management of the National police force and of which the geographic competence which includes the 21 departments of Paris.

Composed of police officers recruited according to very selective criteria, equipped with the best and latest matériels and subjected to a rigorous and followed drive, the GIPN can furnish groups of police officers to the service of other police units.

They intervene with other services of the National police force, each time the situation requires it with the constant concern for the preservation of the physical integrity of negotiators and only to use necessary force strictly that as a last resort.

Deployment GIPN in France

In France there are nine GIPN units with two more in DOM-TOM containing over 170 personnel.

* In métropole there are 7 units:
**Lille with 16 men
**Strasbourg with 16 men
**Lyon with 24 men
**Nice with 16 men
**Marseilles with 24 men
**Bordeaux with 16 men
**Rennes with 16 men

*Overseas there are 2 units:

**New Caledonia with 16 men
**Réunion with 16 men

Weapons and equipment

Considering thet the GIPN are fewer than RAID or GIGN it has a more important budget in particular with the new policy of internal security , in their arsenal one finds all the range of weapons such as:

* Pistols - Beretta 92F and Sig Sauer P-226 and P-228.
* Revolvers - Manurhin MR-73, Blacksmith and Smith & Wesson 686.
* Machine pistols - H&K MP5 A3 and SD6.
* Assault rifles - H&K G36K and G36C, and the firm of the SSG 551 and 552 commando.
* High powered rifles - PGM Ultima Ratio and Steyr-Mannlicher SSG.

As for personal protection, the GIPN maintains kevlar helmets with bullet proof visors, bullet proof vests of different categories (II; III; IV or V), guards and knuckles; and armored shields.

See also

*"Gendarmerie Nationale" "GIGN" and "EPIGN", France
*"Polícia Militar do Rio de Janeiro" "BOPE", Brazil
*Royal Canadian Mounted Police Emergency Response Team, Canada
*Toronto Police Service Emergency Task Force, Canada
*National Security Guards, India
*Metropolitan Police CO19, United Kingdom
*"Karhu Ryhmä", Finland
*"Federal Police Special Units", Belgium, Counter-terrorist Unit
*"Bundespolizei" "GSG 9", Germany, Counter-terrorist Unit
*State Police "MEK"/"SEK" units, Germany
*Hong Kong Police Special Duties Unit, Hong Kong
*"Garda Síochána" Emergency Response Unit, Republic of Ireland
*"Polizia di Stato" "NOCS", Italy
*New Zealand Police Armed Offenders Squad, New Zealand
*Special Emergency Force (قوة الطوارئ الخاصة), Saudi Arabia
*"Guardia Civil" "UEI", Spain
*"Nationella insatsstyrkan", Sweden
* SWAT, United States
*Beijing's Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team
*"Polícia de Segurança Pública" "GOE", Portugal

External links

* [http://le.raid.free.fr/accueil.htm Unofficial Site]
* [http://www.specwarnet.net/europe/GIPN.htm Specwarnet report (in English)]