Hazard investigation and hazard prevention are central tasks that the police have to cope with in the ongoing large-scale operation in the Rohrbach district of Upper Austria. The core of this intervention is special and special forces with special equipment and training. In relation to the Cobra task force, the rapid reaction forces (SRK) established in 2021 are particularly required, especially the rapid intervention groups (SIG) belonging to the SRK.
“The rapid reaction forces are an expression of powerful and modern police work for the safety of people in Austria. This further development of police work means that operational specialists are available even in particularly dangerous situations nationwide throughout Austria available. The enormously challenging current operation in Upper Austria shows how necessary it is for the police to work together between different forces“, said Interior Minister Gerhard Karner.
Since October 28, 2024 alone, around 135 SIG forces have been in constant use in the search for a heavily armed and very dangerous suspect with excellent local knowledge. The resilience and necessity of these SIG forces has once again become clear during this major operation. Rapid intervention groups are characterized by the fact that they perform permanent patrol duty and can therefore be ordered to locations within a very short time.
Examples: SIG operations
The SRK units (SIG and standby unit) have had a track record of success since they were founded in 2021: By the beginning of October 2024, almost 7,000 arrests had been carried out and around 253,000 identity checks had been carried out in more than 31,700 operations.
The SIG were recently called upon for a large-scale operation when a search was underway for a suspect with explosives in Zistersdorf, Lower Austria. In Upper Austria, the SRK’s intervention prevented further crimes during a rampage in 2023. In addition, the SIG are deployed every day throughout Austria in heightened danger situations and support the regular police departments.
Austria-wide establishment of the SRK after a terrorist attack
After the terrorist attack in Vienna, the “WEGA model” was successfully expanded throughout Austria in the form of the Rapid Intervention Groups (SIG). These SIG, together with the standby units (BE), which have also been available nationwide since then, are part of the so-called Rapid Reaction Forces (SRK).
The aim of these SRK forces is to have specially equipped and trained units on permanent patrol duty in order to be able to immediately deploy the first special forces to a dangerous mission in the event of an emergency. The SRK – especially the SIG – act as a link or intermediate level between the regulatory forces and the Cobra special unit.
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