Unité Spéciale de la Police

The Unité Spéciale de la Police (USP) (English: Special Police Unit) is the police tactical unit of the Grand Ducal Police that was created in Luxembourg in 1999.[1] It is tasked with responding to especially dangerous situations such as hostage rescue operations, arrests of dangerous individuals, bomb threats, and dignitary protection duties.[3] The unit trains abroad with comparable units, in particular the Belgian DSU and German SEK.[4]

Special Police Unit
Unité Spéciale de la Police  (French)
Emblem
Active1999 – present[1]
CountryLuxembourg
AgencyGrand Ducal Police[2]
TypePolice tactical unit
Role
AbbreviationUSP[2]
Structure
Officers56[3]
Commanders
Current
commander		Christian Krettels

History

The USP was formed in 1999 as a merger of the Police Intervention Group (French: Groupe d’intervention de la police) counter-terrorist group and the Gendarmerie Mobile Brigade (French: Brigade mobile de la Gendarmerie).[1] By 2007, USP had conducted roughly 1,650 missions[5] with an average of 300 assignments annually. Two-thirds of these missions were police arrests or surveillance, and one third of these tasks was close protection or other escort duties.[5] Notable achievements of the formation include:

  • The rescue in 2000 of a large number of Wasserbillig school members that had been taken hostage by a man armed with a pistol, grenade, and knife. The hostage-taker was shot and wounded, and all 45 children and 3 teachers were rescued.[6][7][8]
  • The rescue in 2002 of the kidnapped son of a Swedish businessman.[6]
  • The arrest and dismantling in 2003 of an Al Qaeda cell in Luxembourg.[6]

Recruitment

Applicants to the USP must be younger than 30 years-of-age with several years of experience in the Luxembourg police. Applicants under-go a selection test lasting one week. The applicants are tested for motivation, teamwork, thinking skills, and physical endurance. Once selected, candidates are trained over the course of six months in intervention, observation, and close protection. When this training is completed, the candidate is integrated into the USP.[9]

Equipment

The Unité Spéciale de la Police uses an assortment of weapons, including:

References
  1. "Police grand-ducale (Ministère de la Sécurité intérieure): Unité Spéciale de la Police (USP) Historique" (in French). Official Website of the Unité Spéciale de la Police. May 15, 2008. Archived from the original on February 20, 2012. Retrieved October 13, 2009.
  2. "Police Grand-Ducale (Ministère de la Sécurité intérieure): Unité Spéciale de la Police (USP)" (in French). Official Website of the Unité Spéciale de la Police. May 15, 2008. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  3. "Police grand-ducale (Ministère de la Sécurité intérieure): Unité Spéciale de la Police (USP) De l'intervention à la neutralisation d'explosifs" (in French). Official Website of the Unité Spéciale de la Police. May 15, 2008. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  4. "Police grand-ducale (Ministère de la Sécurité intérieure): Unité Spéciale de la Police (USP) Formation Continue" (in French). Official Website of the Unité Spéciale de la Police. May 15, 2008. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  5. "Unité Spéciale de la Police - Missions" (in French). Unofficial Website of Unité Spéciale, Officially Endorsed. 2008. Archived from the original on 2012-02-27. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  6. "Police grand-ducale (Ministère de la Sécurité intérieure): Unité Spéciale de la Police (USP) Quelques actions de l'USP" (in French). Official Website of the Unité Spéciale de la Police. May 15, 2008. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  7. Castle, Stephen (June 3, 2000). "Veneer Stripped Away by Assault on Kindergarten Gunman". London: The Independent. Retrieved 2009-11-27.
  8. "22 Jahre Haft für Geiselnehmer von Wasserbillig" (in German). Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. November 28, 2001. Retrieved 2009-11-27.
  9. "Police grand-ducale (Ministère de la Sécurité intérieure): Unité Spéciale de la Police (USP) Condition d'accès" (in French). Official Website of the Unité Spéciale de la Police. May 15, 2008. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  10. "Unité Spéciale de la Police Equipement - Fusils de Sniper" (in French). Unofficial Website of Unité Spéciale, Officially Endorsed. 2008. Archived from the original on 2014-11-29. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  11. "Unité Spéciale de la Police Equipement - Fusils d'Appui" (in French). Unofficial Website of Unité Spéciale, Officially Endorsed. 2008. Archived from the original on 2011-10-09. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  12. "Unité Spéciale de la Police Equipement - Pistolets" (in French). Unofficial Website of Unité Spéciale, Officially Endorsed. 2008. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  13. "Unité Spéciale de la Police Equipement - Armes non Lethales" (in French). Unofficial Website of Unité Spéciale, Officially Endorsed. 2008. Archived from the original on 2011-10-09. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  14. Sünkler, Sören. "Elite und Spezialeinheiten Europas" (in German). Motorbuch, 2008. ISBN 978-3-613-02853-1.
  15. "Unité Spéciale de la Police Equipement - Fusils d'Assault" (in French). Unofficial Website of Unité Spéciale, Officially Endorsed. 2008. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  16. Lasterra, Juan Pablo (2004). "UPS Unidad Especial de la Policia Luxembourguesa" (PDF) (in Spanish). ARMAS Magazine. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  17. "L'Unite d'Intervention de la Police Luxembourgeoise" (PDF) (in French). RAIDS Magazine. March 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 22, 2011. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  18. Sünkler, Sören (April 2007). "Die Wachter des Herzogs: Unite Speciale Police aus Luxembourg" (PDF) (in Dutch). Caliber Magazine. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  19. "Unité Spéciale de la Police Equipement - Revolvers" (in French). Unofficial Website of Unité Spéciale, Officially Endorsed. 2008. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
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