National Police Intervention Groups
| Groupes d'Intervention de la Police Nationale | |
|---|---|
| Active | 27 October 1972- present |
| Country |
 France |
| Branch | French National Police |
| Type | Law enforcement |
| Role | Domestic Counter-Terrorism and Law Enforcement |
| Size |
about 200 operators |
| Garrison/HQ |
Nouméa (Nouvelle-Calédonie) Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe) Saint-Denis (Réunion) |
| Motto(s) | La cohésion fait la force ("Cohesion brings strength") |
| Mascot(s) | Cobra |
| Engagements | Anti-Action Directe arrests Anti-GIA operations 2005 Paris Riots |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Georges Nguyen Van Loc |
about 200
National Police Intervention Groups (GIPN) (French: Groupes d'Intervention de la Police Nationale) are regional tactical units of the French National Police located in the French overseas departments and territories. Their motto is "La cohésion fait la force" or "Cohesion brings strength."
From 1972 to 2015, the designation was also used for units based in large cities in metropolitan France. In 2015, the metropolitan GIPNs were integrated into RAID, the National Police's crisis response unit and officially became known as "Regional RAID branches" (French: antennes RAID).
In the wake of the tragic events of the Munich massacre in which Israeli team members were kidnapped and killed by Palestinian terrorists, 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, hostage situations, escorts etc.
The French National Police responded by creating an "anti-commmando" brigade - also known as BRI-BAC - within the Paris Research and Intervention Brigade and GIPNs in the largest province cities, while the National Gendarmerie established its own unit : GIGN.
The first GIPN was created on 27 October 1972 in Marseille by the commissaire divisionnaire Georges Nguyen Van Loc and could only intervene at the request of judges or prosecutors. It was composed of thirty men who had the latest weapons and sophisticated equipment and became the second hostage-rescue team of the French National Police after the Paris BRI-BAC.
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