The Police Development and Protection of Soft Targets

*Martin Hrinko, David Palička, Leoš Hájek and Petr Kubický*

### **Abstract**

This paper describes the function and development of the requirements for modern and high-quality equipment and accessories and also equipment used by the specialized units of the police force of the ČR with a practical example. This is offered in the form of a draft requirement for a transport means – a multifunctional special vehicle, intended specifically to intervene in situations against demonstrators, extremists, and football hooligans. At the same time, this paper briefly describes the system of collecting information regarding other modern means used by other security forces and also those which are available on the market, which are then (if suitable and also upon experience from abroad) proposed for development and use under the conditions of the Czech Police practices.

**Keywords:** police force, protection of soft targets, police development, usability of special vehicles, multifunction vehicle

### **1. Introduction**

In 2016, the Public Order Police Headquarters, Czech Police Presidium ("ŘSPP"), submitted a proposal to the establishment of working teams of police officers from regional police directorates, who are under the coordination of the highest methodical body of the Public Order Police "ŘSPP." Following this proposal, the Police President Order No. 286/2016 was created. This act established a working team called Blesk (Lightning) [1], intended for assessment of the current security situation and to evaluate the current needs regarding service tactics for use by the Police of the Czech Republic (hereinafter referred to as the "Police CR") during actions taken against dangerous crime offenders and to be included in procedures used by intervention units of regional directorates of the Police CR and also the special unit guarding nuclear power plants in the Czech Republic, Temelín and Dukovany. The next Police President Order No. 38/2017 has the same purpose, it was established by the Evoluce (Evolution) [2] working team and as with the previous order focuses on material security of police officers, but in the case of riot police officers (which means special riot units of police regional directorates (4) and riot units of regional police directorates (12)), taking into account the tendencies of the security situation. Police President's orders allow the coordinator and the team to invite experts from other workplaces of the Police ČR, but also consultants from companies and suppliers to meet and investigate the latest trends in this field of the market. Team workers have the opportunity to be sent to exhibitions and seminars where a particular technology is presented and where they can find out foreign products and compare them with the means which are currently available to

the police. No such conceptually formed teams had existed until these teams were formed. Policemen' proposals or requirements were not often listened to or they were strongly misrepresented in other resulting documents. One of the successful projects was dependent primarily on the personal erudition of only one policeman from a special department, who created the future final document regarding the requirements of his work – (training polygon in Zbiroh [3]) literally in the garage.
