From March 23rd to 27th, 2025, representatives of the State Police and the State Police College visited the units of the French National Gendarmerie Academy in Rochefort and Saint-Astier.
The visit took place within the framework of the European Union's Internal Security Fund 2021-2027 planning period project No. VP/IDF/2024/5 “Strengthening the State Police's Response Mobility and Counter-Terrorism Capabilities by Establishing a Practical Training Center”. Its purpose was to gain in-depth knowledge of a modern police officer training model, tactical training infrastructure, and practical training approaches.
In Rochefort, the representatives became acquainted with the cadets training process and the qualification maintenance system implemented in France, which ensures regular professional development.
In Saint-Astier, a tactical training center with an industrial mountaineering tower, climbing walls, a shooting range, an urban simulation area, and a crisis training ground was visited. Day and night tactical exercises, involving more than 300 gendarmerie cadets, were also observed in person.
During the visit, discussions were initiated on the possible implementation of a trainer training program and personnel exchange initiatives within the Erasmus+ framework. This international experience provides the State Police and the State Police College with valuable insights, which will allow for more effective implementation of the project No. VP/IDF/2024/5 activities – both in designing and constructing the Internal Security Academy's practical training center building with a mountaineering tower, and in improving training content, introducing modern training methods, and selecting the most appropriate technological solutions.
Project No. VP/IDF/2024/5 “Strengthening the State Police's Response Mobility and Counter-Terrorism Capabilities by Establishing a Practical Training Center” is being implemented within the framework of the European Union's Internal Security Fund 2021-2027 planning period, whose managing authority in Latvia is the Ministry of the Interior. The project is co-financed by the European Union's Internal Security Fund. The implementation period is from April 1st, 2024, to December 31st, 2029.
