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Published in:
Public Order Policing: From Theory to Practice Read chapter Read first chapter

2023 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

Specialized Public Order Units: Integrating a Community Policing Mindset

Author : Bernd Bürger

Published in: Public Order Policing

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

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Abstract

This chapter shows how the Unterstützungskommandos (USK), full-time public order units specializing in evidence gathering and arrests during assemblies, have evolved over recent decades. The events that triggered and accompanied these developments are described. The chapter also explains how community-focused policing became an organizational goal, and how it served as the foundation for operational tactics, as well as personnel selection, development, and training.

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previous chapter Public Order Policing in the UK
next chapter Maintaining Public Order from a Military Police Perspective
Footnotes
1
German police vocabulary as well as any citations were translated by the author.
 
2
Designation of the Bavarian Police for Evidence and Arresting units. These are called Beweissicherungs- und Festnahmehundertschaften (BFHu) when refering to a company or Beweissicherungs- und Festnahmeeinheiten (BFE) when refering to a platoon in Germany. Just the police in Bavaria uses a different name, Unterstützungskommando (USK) when refering to a company or USK-Einheit or USK-Zug when refering to a platoon.
 
3
The structure of these units (company): Commander, Executive Officer, Command Post Team, Central Evidence Team (with high-resolution video and photo), report quality management team, reconnaissance and observation group (plain-clothes officers), and three platoons (each around 40 officers: one platoon leader, one executive officer, three regular groups, and one evidence team with high-resolution photo and video).
 
5
USK units were also established within the Munich police and in Middle Franconia, but they are exclusively operationalized by the local police authorities (Munich and Middle Franconia). The USK BP are a part of the Bavarian Central Service Police and are being deployed all over Bavaria and even other states, if requested by the responsible police department.
 
7
This equipment is not being used within public order events, unless there is a distinct threat, which almost never is the case.
 
8
Equivalent to “New Public Management” in German-speaking countries.
 
9
Cf. Uschold, 2012 - not published. Colonel Tobias Uschold was commanding officer of the USK Nuremberg from 2013 to 2019.
 
10
However, celebration is unwarranted if the situation did not require the specialized units’ deployment to begin with (e.g., few, if any, disturbances were expected) or no special tactics were required due to overwhelming police presence, thus negating the need for the units’ more informed and nuanced approach. Highly experienced USK officers will not consider the absence of arrests a special achievement in these circumstances.
 
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Metadata
Title
Specialized Public Order Units: Integrating a Community Policing Mindset
Author
Bernd Bürger
Copyright Year
2023
Book
Public Order Policing

Print ISBN: 978-3-031-43855-4

Electronic ISBN: 978-3-031-43856-1

Copyright Year: 2023

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43856-1_12

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