Reinforced Regional Task Force

Förstärkt Regional Insatsstyrka

Piketen training insignia
Active 1979 - Present
Country  Sweden
Branch Swedish Police Authority
Type SWAT
Role Hostage rescue
High-risk arrests
Riot control
Size ~200 operators
Garrison/HQ Stockholm
Gothenburg
Malmö

Förstärkt Regional Insatsstyrka (English: Reinforced Regional Task Force),[1] prior to 2015 officially known as Piketen (or Piketenheten)[2] is a special operations asset of the Swedish Police Authority, similar to the SWAT in the United States. Piketen is called upon when situations occur that are too dangerous for ordinary police to handle such as hostage situations, serving high-risk arrest warrants and confronting armed criminals.

History

The main task for Piketen is dangerous situations in dangerous environments, e.g. hostage situations and situations including armed dangerous suspects.[3] Other tasks are riot control, escorting VIP's/objects of value and serving high-risk arrest warrants etc.

Piketen has been active since 1979.[3] Its creation was an answer to the events of the Norrmalmstorg robbery in 1973,[3] where robber Jan-Erik "Janne" Olsson took four hostages at Kreditbanken at Norrmalmstorg ("Norrmalm's Square") in Stockholm.

Piket officers from Malmö and Gothenburg have been deployed with the EULEX Intervention Group in Kosovo (Special Team Six), tasked with high-risk operations such as hostage rescue and arresting armed criminals.[4]

In 2011, Piketen has officially opened its unit for any female officers who wish to serve in the unit.[5]

Due to the major reorganization efforts of 2015, Piketen was reclassified as Förstärkt Regional Insatsstyrka.

Organization

Piketen are stationed in the three largest cities of Sweden: Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö but can by request be put to use nationwide all over Sweden. Smaller forces of similar quality are available in police regions Bergslagen, Middle, East and North, though they are not as well-trained as the previous Piket units.

Training

Piketen spends about 30% of its time on training, which is mainly focused on high-risk intervention. For example; one or multiple dangerous perpetrators in rural terrain or in an urban environment and perpetrators in houses or vehicles (also including hostage rescue). Such dangerous interventions require a lot of advanced tactical training. The unit strives to resolve any given situation as peacefully as possible to avoid injury or loss of life[3] and uses highly trained negotiators when tactically possible. Circumstances dictate whether piket officers operate in uniform or civilian clothing. Piketen mostly make use of unmarked civilian vehicles or special assault vehicles.

Piket officers are well-trained in different methods of entry (MOE), such as rappelling and door breaching. They also receive training in close target reconnaissance, close quarters battle, basic medical care, tactical self-defense, and various weapon systems.

Gear

A Sandcat used by Piketen.

The main weapons of Piketen are the Heckler & Koch MP5, the Heckler & Koch G36C and the SIG Sauer 226 as sidearm. Piketen had sniper rifles on trial but the project was scrapped and the usage of sniper rifles was limited to the counter-terrorism unit of the Swedish police, the National Task Force.

They are also equipped with Sandcats used to transport its officers.[6]

Similar units

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Helander, Magnus. "Polisen vässar insatsstyrkor". SvD.se. Retrieved 2016-11-14.
  2. ↑ From Swedish piket (borrowed from French: piquet) meaning "task force", and enheten meaning "the unit", i.e. Piketen = The Task Force, Piketenheten = The Task Force Unit.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Piketen". Polisen.se (in Swedish). Polisen (Swedish Police Authority). Retrieved 2016-10-04.
  4. ↑ "Känsligt uppdrag i Kosovo". Polistidningen. Retrieved 2016-11-14.
  5. ↑ http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=103&artikel=4549099
  6. ↑ http://www.hd.se/2013-05-04/en-vanlig-dag-pa-jobbet
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