Active 1999–present Size 56 officers | Type Special forces | |
Role Domestic counter-terrorism and law enforcement | ||
The Unité Spéciale de la Police (USP; English: "Special Unit of the Police") is a special unit of the Grand Ducal Police that was created in Luxembourg in 1999. It is tasked with responding to especially dangerous situations such as hostage rescue operations, arrests of dangerous individuals, bomb threats, and dignitary protection duties. The unit trains abroad with comparable units, in particular the Belgian DSU and German SEK.
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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). By 2007, USP had conducted roughly 1,650 missions 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. Notable achievements of the formation include:
Recruitment
Applicants to the USP must be younger than 30 years of age with several years of experience in the Luxembourg police. Applicants undergo 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.
Equipment
The Unité Spéciale de la Police uses an assortment of weapons, including: