Détachement d'Action Rapide et de Dissuasion

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Détachement d'Action Rapide et de Dissuasion
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DARD Patch
Active 1 September 1991 - Present
Country   Switzerland
Type Special Operations
Role Domestic Anti-Terrorism and Law Enforcement
Size 13 police officers
Part of Under control of the Vaud Cantonal Police
Garrison/HQ Centre d'Intervention Régional (English: Regional Intervention Centre), La Blécherette, Lausanne, Vaud[1]
Nickname(s) DARD
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Olivier Durgnat[2]
File:Policier-DARD-p1030171.jpg
A model of a DARD operator in specialist gear

The Détachement d'Action Rapide et de Dissuasion[3] (English: Swift action and deterrent detachment) is a specialist unit of the Cantonal police of Vaud,[4] originally established to counter the growing rate of terrorism in Europe during the herald of the 1970s.[5] They are based in the Centre d'Intervention Régional (English: Regional Intervention Centre), located in La Blécherette in the city of Lausanne.[1]

The word DARD is a pun on dard, "sting" in French.

History

DARD was founded on 1 September 1991 in Vaud, due to concerns of the canton regarding terrorism at the cantonal level.[5] It is an extension of the previous réserve d'intervention ("intervention reserve") which was composed of 6 gendarmes. By contrast, the DARD is a standing unit of 13 gendarmes. One of its known commanders was Olivier Durgnat.[2]

Known Operations

Skinheads were apprehended by DARD operators during a march on 30 June 2003.[6] DARD was mobilised to hunt down an armed robber who had robbed a bank on 7 November 2006.[7] DARD units were deployed to Bussigny-près-Lausanne on 12 November 2007 after an armed man was reported to Vaud police; the armed suspect was wounded before being taken to a hospital.[8]

DARD operators were deployed on 14 May 2008 in an anti-drug operation to seize hemp.[9] DARD was also deployed to conduct another anti-drug operation with 25 people arrested, some of them from Africa.[9][10]

A DARD unit was mobilised to assist sûreté detectives on 20 August 2008 to get a man to prevent himself from committing suicide, which failed despite negotiations by DARD negotiators and detectives.[11]

On 9 January 2009, DARD units had been mobilised in a manhunt to arrest two suspects responsible for killing a sexagenarian man on 29 December 2008.[12][13]

Canine units use

DARD uses canine units in most of its operations after a training program started in 2005 with the first dog accepted into DARD service in 2006.[14]

Equipment

DARD operators are issued the following firearms:

References

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