GIPN
Encyclopedia
GIPN is an initialism for Groupes d'Intervention de la Police Nationale or French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 National Police Intervention Groups. Its motto is "La cohésion fait la force" or "Cohesion brings strength."

History

After the tragic events of the Munich massacre
Munich massacre
The Munich massacre is an informal name for events that occurred during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Bavaria in southern West Germany, when members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage and eventually killed by the Palestinian group Black September. Members of Black September...

 in which the Israeli team was kidnapped and then killed by Palestinian commandos, the various European police forces decided to form special units able to fight against forms of terrorism and for other crises such as excessive use of force, taking of hostages, escorts etc.

The first GIPN was created on October 27, 1972 and could only intervene at the request of judges or prosecutors. It was composed of thirty men who have the latest weapons and sophisticated equipment.

The National Police initially formed 11 intervention groups but reduced them to 7 by 1985. This was then expanded to 9 with the creation of GIPN units in Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...

 in 1992 and in New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...

 in 1993.

All the GIPN units are in contact with each other and after each mission they send their synthesis and their strategies to the other groups to share knowledge and if it is needed their intervention techniques.

The Ministerial Circular of August 4, 1995 established the policies of the use of the GIPN: organization, rules of engagement, territorial competence, missions, principles of actions, implemented, means and coordination.

Recruitment

Organised at the national level by the DCSP
Direction Centrale de la Sécurité Publique
The Direction Centrale de la Sécurité Publique is the uniformed patrol and response arm of the French National Police responsible for keeping the peace and maintaining public order in the cities and large towns of France.The DCSP consists of over 78,000 mainly uniformed police personnel known as...

, the selections take place once a year and roll within a structure DFPN (ENP Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo is a walled port city in Brittany in northwestern France on the English Channel. It is a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine.-Demographics:The population can increase to up to 200,000 in the summer tourist season...

 or Nîmes
Nîmes
Nîmes is the capital of the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. Nîmes has a rich history, dating back to the Roman Empire, and is a popular tourist destination.-History:...

) with the assistance of a group of psychologists.

All the National policemen and senior police officers apply, as long as they meet the administrative criteria a minimum of 5 years of service and be no more than 35 years old.

About fifty candidates are selected and conveyed to the selected site where, during a first week, they must pass a series of events, records review, personality tests, combat ability, claustrophobia, giddiness, athletic ability, swimming etc.

At the end of this first week, part of the candidates are eliminated, and them others continue with mental tests during 4 days.

After finishing these tests, a score of candidates will be admitted into the GIPN where their training now starts.

Organisation

The GIPN are units of the Central Directorate of Public Security (Fr: Direction Centrale de la Sécurité Publique
Direction Centrale de la Sécurité Publique
The Direction Centrale de la Sécurité Publique is the uniformed patrol and response arm of the French National Police responsible for keeping the peace and maintaining public order in the cities and large towns of France.The DCSP consists of over 78,000 mainly uniformed police personnel known as...

 or DCSP) which is the uniformed patrol and response branch of the French National Police. The DCSP has competency in 75 departments and within the territorial services of 7 large provincial towns (Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...

, Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...

, Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....

, Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...

, Marseilles, Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...

, Rennes
Rennes
Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...

) and overseas (La Réunion
La Reunion
La Reunion may refer to:* La Reunion , a communal settlement near present-day Dallas, Texas*La Réunion, Lot-et-Garonne, a town in the Lot-et-Garonne department of France*Réunion, an island in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar...

 and New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...

).

RAID
Recherche Assistance Intervention Dissuasion
Recherche Assistance Intervention Dissuasion or RAID is, like the GIPN, a Special Operations tactical unit of the National Police with more manpower and equipment...

 is a similar intervention force directly under the management of the national police force
French National Police
The National Police , formerly the Sûreté Nationale, is one of two national police forces and the main civil law enforcement agency of France, with primary jurisdiction in cities and large towns. The other main agency is the military Gendarmerie, with primary jurisdiction in smaller towns and rural...

 and of which the geographic competence which includes the 21 departments of Paris.

Composed of police officers recruited according to very selective criteria, equipped with the best and latest matériels and subjected to a rigorous and followed drive, the GIPN can furnish groups of police officers to the service of other police units.

They intervene with other services of the National police force, each time the situation requires it, with the constant concern for the preservation of the physical integrity of negotiators and only to use necessary force strictly that as a last resort.

Deployment of the GIPN in France

In France there are nine GIPN units containing over 170 personnel.
  • In metropolitan France
    Metropolitan France
    Metropolitan France is the part of France located in Europe. It can also be described as mainland France or as the French mainland and the island of Corsica...

     there are 7 units:
    • Lille
      Lille
      Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...

       with 16 men
    • Strasbourg
      Strasbourg
      Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...

       with 16 men
    • Lyon
      Lyon
      Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....

       with 24 men
    • Nice
      Nice
      Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...

       with 16 men
    • Marseille
      Marseille
      Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...

       with 24 men
    • Bordeaux
      Bordeaux
      Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...

       with 16 men
    • Rennes
      Rennes
      Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...

       with 16 men

  • In the overseas departments and territories of France
    Overseas departments and territories of France
    The French Overseas Departments and Territories consist broadly of French-administered territories outside of the European continent. These territories have varying legal status and different levels of autonomy, although all have representation in the Parliament of France , and consequently the...

     there are 2 units:

    • New Caledonia
      New Caledonia
      New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...

       with 16 men
    • Réunion
      Réunion
      Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...

       with 16 men

Weapons and equipment

The GIPN arsenal includes a wide range of weapons such as:
  • Pistols - Sig Sauer SIG Pro
    SIG Pro
    The SIG Pro is a series of semi-automatic pistols developed and manufactured jointly by Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft and J. P. Sauer & Sohn...

     SP2022 (specially developed for the French Polices in the biggest single sidearm contract since WW2 with 250000 ordered guns for both polices), Glock 17 and Glock 26.
  • Revolvers - Manurhin MR-73
    Manurhin MR 73
    The Manurhin MR73 is a French-manufactured, double-action revolver chambered in .38 Special/.357 Magnum. The revolver can be converted to 9mm Parabellum with a supplied replacement cylinder...

    , Blacksmith and Smith & Wesson
    Smith & Wesson
    Smith & Wesson is the largest manufacturer of handguns in the United States. The corporate headquarters is in Springfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1852, Smith & Wesson's pistols and revolvers have become standard issue to police and armed forces throughout the world...

     686.
  • Machine pistols - H&K
    Heckler & Koch
    Heckler & Koch GmbH is a German defense manufacturing company that produces various small arms. Some of their products include the SA80, MP5 submachine gun, G3 automatic rifle, the G36 assault rifle, the HK 416, the MP7 personal defense weapon, the USP series of handguns, and the high-precision...

     MP5
    Heckler & Koch MP5
    The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar....

     A3 and SD6.
  • Assault rifles - H&K G36K and G36C
    Heckler & Koch G36
    The Heckler & Koch G36 is a 5.56×45mm assault rifle, designed in the early 1990s by Heckler & Koch in Germany as a replacement for the 7.62mm G3 battle rifle. It was accepted into service with the Bundeswehr in 1997, replacing the G3...

    , and the firm of the SSG 551 and 552 commando.
  • Sniper rifles - PGM Ultima Ratio
    PGM Ultima Ratio
    The PGM Ultima Ratio is a French-designed and manufactured sniper rifle. It uses the 7.62x51 mm NATO cartridge and can, depending on the variant, be chambered for several other cartridges. The PGM Ultima Ratio is intended to fulfill an anti-personnel role and is produced by PGM Précision of France...

     and Steyr-Mannlicher SSG
    Steyr SSG 69
    The SSG 69 is a bolt-action sniper rifle produced by Steyr Mannlicher and serves as the standard sniper rifle for the Austrian Army....

    .


As for personal protection, the GIPN maintains kevlar
Kevlar
Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...

 helmets with bulletproof visors, bulletproof vests of different categories (II; III; IV or V), guards and knuckles; and armored shields.

See also

  • Gendarmerie Nationale GIGN
    Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale
    The National Gendarmerie Intervention Group, commonly abbreviated GIGN , is a special operations unit of the French Armed Forces. It is part of the National Gendarmerie and is trained to perform counter-terrorist and hostage rescue missions in France or anywhere else in the world.The GIGN was...

    and EPIGN
    Escadron Parachutiste d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale
    The Parachute Intervention Squadron of the National Gendarmerie was the parachute-trained intervention squadron of the French Gendarmerie. The unit was formed in 1984 and absorbed into the newly reorganized GIGN in September 2007. -Known operations:...

    , France
  • List of special response units

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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