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]
These units were established in 1987 after the deaths of two police officers during the demonstrations against the expansion of Frankfurt Airport. [2]
As a reaction to the terrorist attacks in Paris 2015, an additional unit, the BFE+, was put up in summer 2015.
Contents
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
Due to their duties in dangerous environments, the BFE units are often equipped with special equipment which may include:
Special equipment
- Breaching tools
- 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.
