50 Years in Action

This year, the special units of the Hessian police are celebrating their 50th anniversary. On the occasion of this anniversary, today leaders of the Hessian police, along with representatives from politics, state police of other federal states, the federal police, the Bundeswehr, and customs gathered at Biebrich Palace in Wiesbaden to collectively honor the development and achievements of the special units in Hessen.

Minister of the Interior Roman Poseck emphasized in his speech: "For 50 years, the police officers of the special units have been ensuring the safety of the citizens. Under often extreme conditions, women and men are doing outstanding work. The special units are ready for action around the clock to prevent worse outcomes in attacks, hostage situations, or arrests. The professionalism, immense personal dedication, high sense of duty, and exceptional fitness demand great respect from me. I experience this extraordinary commitment almost daily when I am accompanied and protected by the officers of the MEK personal protection with care and competence. I thank you very much for this commitment to my personal safety, which is exemplary for the selfless actions of our special units."

Almost 3,300 Missions

The Minister further explained that the special units have already completed almost 3,300 missions this year, including over 1,300 missions of the Mobile Task Force (MEK) and over 1,500 missions of MEK personal protection. "The consistently high number of missions shows the importance of the special units for public safety in Hessen. The Hessian personal protection, for example, supported the Bavarian police during the Munich Security Conference in February. In addition, the special units were widely deployed during the European Football Championship to ensure a safe and peaceful Euro."

The formation of the special units 50 years ago was a milestone in Hessen's security architecture. I thank them very much for their tireless efforts in the service of our security and our rule of law, and I hope that they always return safely and in good health from their missions," the Minister concluded.

Outstanding commitment of the employees

HPE President Malte Neutzler emphasized in his speech the high demand for further development that runs through the entire history of the special units. He praised the outstanding commitment of the employees in the units, which ensures that this demand is met and passed on. This enables the units to continuously professionalize themselves in order to provide the best for police operations and thus safety in our country.

"The decision to serve in one of the special units deserves respect and support for every single colleague. It is associated with sacrifices in private life, enormous responsibility, and the willingness to constantly reassess and develop oneself and one's abilities. The professional handling of dangerous and extreme situations requires the best preparation, highest concentration, and teamwork. This, dear members of the special units, you do every day for the benefit of our community and security in the country," said HPE president Malte Neutzler.

HLKA President Andreas Röhrig also praised the special dedication of the officers: "For five decades now, policewomen and men in Hessen have been ready to serve in a special unit and devote themselves in a special way to the protection of our society. Their missions in threat situations, abductions, hostage takings, counter-terrorism, and organized crime are often very physically and mentally challenging. They all bear a high level of responsibility."

History of the Special Units in Hessen

In the early 1970s, there was a nationwide increase in publicly effective hostage takings with deadly outcomes. These included the hostage-taking at a branch of Deutsche Bank in Munich in 1971, and the hostage-taking at the Munich Olympic Summer Games in 1972, during which all eleven hostages, a police officer, and five of the eight terrorists were killed during the police rescue attempt.

The Hessian police responded to these events with a change in strategy and the first reorganizations.

By order of the Ministry of the Interior, “special groups with precision shooters” were established in Darmstadt, Frankfurt, Kassel, and Wiesbaden in the same year. This was just the beginning of the development. It was quickly recognized that a more comprehensive training of the officers in the special groups was necessary to meet the challenges of different operational situations.

Ongoing development of the special units

The Standing Conference of Interior Ministers also dealt with the issue in 1974 and decided to establish special units, following which Mobile Task Forces (MEK), Special Operations Commandos (SEK), and Precision Shooter Commandos (PSK) were formed in Hessen - the birth of the Hessian special units.

With changing and evolving challenges, the special units also continued to develop - technically, tactically, and organizationally.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Negotiation Groups and Personal Protection were added, with the latter also receiving the status of a special unit in 2004.

The organizational affiliation of the special units changed over the decades, also due to organizational reforms. Until October 2023, the various special units were organizationally part of the Frankfurt am Main Police Headquarters, the North Hessen Police Headquarters, the Hessian State Criminal Police Office, and the State Police Headquarters.

Directorate of Special Units Hessen

With the establishment of the Hessian Police Headquarters Operations (HPE) in November 2023, a separate "Directorate of Special Units Hessen" was created in the new authority, bringing together the SEK, MEK, MEK personal protection, and negotiation group units. Since last year, the Hessian special units have been united under one roof, with the MEK Operational Technology at the Hessian State Criminal Police Office being a strategically justified exception. The training and further education of the special units have also been located in the HPE since then.

This year, the Directorate of Special Units Hessen recently expanded. In June 2024, the MEK Personal Protection North joined, further strengthening personal protection in Hessen.

SEK and MEK in Hessen - the application page