State Police Special Task Battalion Trains to Control Rioting Crowds in Exercise

The State Police Special Task Battalion held an exercise at the National Armed Forces training ground “Mežaine” on 7 October. The drills focused on carrying out special operations to end mass disorder and neutralise armed individuals.

Purpose of the exercise

The aim was to strengthen the battalion's capacity and improve readiness to respond to security threats. Particular attention went to cooperation with other police units, as well as with the special task and rapid response units of Estonia and Lithuania. This allowed organisers to test how well tactics fit together and to refine cooperation mechanisms for cases where mass disorder is provoked by external forces.

Scenarios are developed every year with the current security situation and international experience in mind. This year, one of the models used was France's experience, where protests near educational institutions have in some cases escalated into wider public order disturbances, including vandalism and damage to school infrastructure.

The scenario

The exercise simulated an armed attack at a school. Officers had to detain the attackers, safely evacuate pupils, give first aid to the injured, secure the area and keep civilians away from the danger zone.

This was followed by an initially peaceful gathering that turned into aggressive crowd behaviour and vandalism involving incendiary mixtures and pyrotechnics. Officers practised crowd control tactics, mutual coordination, and how to act when public order must be maintained while also assisting the injured.

Participants

More than 400 people took part, drawn from the Special Task Battalion, the State Police Riga, Kurzeme, Zemgale and Vidzeme regional departments, the Technical Support Management Division, the State Police College and the Emergency Medical Service. Experts from Lithuanian and Estonian rapid response units also participated.

Organisers thanked the Zemessardze (National Guard) 4th Kurzeme Brigade, the Emergency Medical Service and the State Police College for their support, and the State Fire and Rescue Service for technical assistance. The State Police stressed that such exercises are an essential part of officers' professional training, helping them assess situations in time and respond in a coordinated way even in high-intensity conditions.