Dienst Speciale Interventies

The Dienst Speciale Interventies (), commonly abbreviated DSI, is the elite police tactical unit of the Dutch National Police Corps and was formally established on 1 July 2006. The DSI is tasked with neutralising terrorist incidents and other violent public order disruptions for which regular police units are inadequately equipped. In total, the DSI consists of about 600 active personnel.
Since the integration of the regional Arrest Teams (), in 2013, the DSI functions as an umbrella organization coordinating the operations of both the ATs and the counter-terrorism elements. The mixed unit has a unique character as it consists of both law enforcement and military personnel.
History.
Since the regional Arrest Teams of the police were incorporated into the DSI in 2013, multiple units with an independent history have resided under a joint command. Therefore, a distinction should be made between the respective histories of the Special Support Units () and the Arrest Teams ().
Special Support Units.
In 1973, the first Dutch counter-terrorist unit was established under the name Special Support Unit-Marines (). The unit was established in response to the Munich massacre, and the rising threat of terrorism throughout Europe. The members of the new unit were recruited from the Netherlands Marine Corps. In 2005, the BBE-M was renamed to Unit Intervention Marines (UIM), and was once again renamed to M-Squadron with the creation of NLMARSOF in 2013.
Following the establishment of the BBE-M, two additional units consisting of snipers were founded; the Special Support Unit-Police () and the Special Support Unit-Military (). Personnel of the BBE-P was recruited from the police, while personnel of the BBE-K was recruited from the Netherlands armed forces. With the establishment of the DSI, the two units were merged into the Unit Expertise and Operational Support ().
In addition, the Special Support Unit-Rapid Intervention Unit () was created. The BBE-SIE consisted of both law enforcement and military personnel and functioned as a rapidly deployable counter-terrorist unit. The tasks of the BBE-SIE were transferred to the Unit Intervention with the establishment of the DSI.
Arrest Teams.
During the end of the 1960s an operational need developed for units capable of handling the increasingly violent organized crime. In 1969, the municipal police of the city of Arnhem founded the Special Missions Unit. Several districts of the "Rijkspolitie" established comparable units. In 1973, one of the units was labeled "Arrestatieteam" (Arrest Team, AT). This development led to the creation of the first comprehensive AT training courses within the "Rijkspolitie" in 1978. Consequently, the Ministry of Justice and Security and the Ministry of the Interior wrote legislation which corroborated the founding of four ATs within the "Rijkspolitie", and six ATs within the municipal police forces of the large cities. The legislation included regulation which stated that the ATs could be deployed exclusively for the arrest of suspects known for illegal gun possession, while requiring permission of the public prosecutor as well.
With the reorganisation of the Dutch police in 1994, the ATs of both the "Rijkspolitie" and municipal police were restructured to form six interregional ATs. In addition, the AT of the "Brigade Speciale Beveiligingsopdrachten" (BSB) of the Royal Marechaussee was incorporated as well.
Establishment and development.
The DSI was established in 2006 in order to improve the joint deployments of the several police tactical units. Points of improvement became apparent after the problematic siege of a house in The Hague which was part of operations aimed at the arrest of terrorists belonging to the Hofstad Network.
To prevent these situations, the DSI unified law enforcement and military tasks in one organisation. The goal of this unification was to increase both interoperability and efficiency, and to combine the specialisations of both the police and the military. Following a confidential experts report, the Second Balkenende cabinet decided to implement a revision of the "Bijzondere Bijstandseenheid", the spearhead counter-terrorism unit at the time. The DSI unofficially commenced operations in 2005, the formal establishment took place on 1 July 2006, and was at that time part of the "KLPD".
In 2007 a report surfaced that found that the DSI suffered from personnel shortages. This shortage was partly caused by a relatively large outflow of personnel. Personnel leaving the service often stated that a lack of deployments was the main reason for their departure. The government commission tasked with evaluating the effectiveness, however, found that the general consensus was that the service functioned in a good manner. The commission was enthusiastic about the cooperation among police and military personnel.
With the establishment of the National Police Corps in 2013 the regular Arrest Teams were placed under the command of the DSI.
Following the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack in 2015, the need arose for a flexible and mobile teams of special forces in the Netherlands. Subsequently, the Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) were established. The RRTs consist of both police and military personnel. Additionally, the DSI received a considerable and structural budget increase. The DSI currently has an annual budget of approximately €70,3 million.
Selection and training.
The first courses for the Arrest Teams took place in 1978 under the command of the "Rijkspolitie". In 1979, the ministers of Justice and the minister of the Interior, established four Arrest Teams under the command of the national police ("Rijkspolitie"), and six Arrest Teams under the command of the municipal police forces ("Gemeentepolitie") of the six largest cities.
Since the re-organization of the Dutch police in 1994, all aspiring AT personnel attend the same basic training at the police academy. The training takes place in several locations throughout the country and takes a total of twenty weeks in which aspiring AT-operators are trained extensively in shooting, house clearing, de-escalation and an extensive specialized driving course. Marines of M-Squadron that are detached to Unit Intervention undergo the complete AT-training as well. Because of the strict psychological, social and physical selection of the operators, the intense course, frequent training, and high-quality equipment, DSI personnel are well equipped to deploy in highly challenging situations. The extensive training enables the operators to arrest suspects with as little violence as possible.
Additionally, all DSI operators develop a specialism. Individual AT operators are free to pass on their specialism of choice to their superiors. Personnel can choose the following specialisms:
Organisation.
The DSI consist of four units:
Equipment.
Weapons.
Weapons in use include, among others:
Vehicles.
The DSI use armoured versions of civilian vehicles to perform their tasks. During on-call duties, during which operators are available for 24 hours, DSI personnel have access to a personal service car. All DSI personnel attend a multiple week specialised driving course. Operators learn to maneuver the vehicle in a quick and safe manner. In an addition, the impact of the additional weight of the armour on the driving characteristics are addressed. Furthermore, car procedures are trained to subdue suspects in cars. The DSI has access to a large and diverse car fleet:
Armoured personnel carriers.
The DSI fleet includes multiple armoured personnel carriers (APCs). Lenco BearCats and Lenco Bears are deployed during high risk interventions, certain firearm incidents, and large scale terrorist attacks. A number of vehicles are fitted with the Mobile Adjustable Ramp System or Articulating Ramp Conversion, produced by the American firm PATRIOT3. This system uses hydraulic ramps to enable raids at high altitudes. For potential aircraft hijacking, the DSI has access to multiple YPR-765 AAVs (Aircraft Assault Vehicle) of the Royal Marechaussee, a tracked light armored vehicle that is fitted with steps and ramps at airplane height.
Motorcycles.
Multiple motorcycles are in use within the DSI. Predominantly KTM and BMW motorcycles are used.
Helicopters.
Three AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters Dienst Luchtvaartpolitie are available for the Quick Reaction Air (QRA) to respond to incidents that require a larger presence of personnel.