Arrest unit

Arrest units (German: Beweissicherungs- und Festnahmeeinheiten lit. Units for arrests and securing evidence, abbreviated BFE or BFHu) are special units of the German state police forces Landespolizei and the German Federal Police. ^[1]

A BFE unit of the German Federal Police during a demonstration in Hannover.

These units were established in 1987 after the deaths of two police officers during the demonstrations against the expansion of Frankfurt Airport. ^[2]

Organization

BFE units are generally part of the Bereitschaftspolizei police support groups and their structure may vary between the different state police forces. A sample structure may look like this:

• Command: four officers
• Technical support: four officers
• Securing evidence: six officers
• Six arrest teams: five officers per team

Duties

• Riot control
• Providing assistance on high-risk warrants
• Obtaining evidence of criminal acts during large events such as soccer games or demonstrations

Equipment

Uniform of member of an arrest unit of the Bavarian Police.

Due to their duties in dangerous environments, the BFE units are often equipped with special equipment which may include:

Special equipment

• Breaching tools
• Portable fire extinguishers
• Still and video cameras
• Portable fire extinguishers
• Crowbars and battering rams

Weapons

• Tonfa or collapsable batons
• Maces and other non-lethal weaponry
• Sidearms
• Submachine guns

Uniforms

• Ballistic vests
• Riot gear
• Fire-resistant clothing

The arrest units of the Police of the State of Bavaria wear special uniforms to distinguish themselves from the regular police units. The arrest units wear black uniforms while regular units wear green uniforms.

See also

• Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité (similar unit of the French National Police)
• Snatch squad

References

v t e Law enforcement in Germany Federal Polizei beim Deutschen Bundestag · Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz · Bundespolizei (incl. GSG 9) · Küstenwache · Bundeskriminalamt · Feldjäger · Z Commission · Zollkriminalamt State police forces Baden-Württemberg · Bavaria · Berlin · Brandenburg · Bremen · Hamburg · Hesse · Lower Saxony · Mecklenburg-Vorpommern · North Rhine-Westphalia · Rhineland-Palatinate · Saarland · Saxony · Saxony-Anhalt · Schleswig-Holstein · Thuringia State police units Arrest unit · Autobahnpolizei · Bereitschaftspolizei · Landeskriminalamt · Kriminalpolizei · Schutzpolizei · Spezialeinsatzkommando · Wasserschutzpolizei Municipal Stadtpolizei