With EU support, tactical exercises for Baltic police forces are taking place in Riga to strengthen counter-terrorism and response capabilities

On October 21 and 22 of this year, the State Police organized tactical exercises in Riga titled "Response to an Armed Attack Situation: Tactical Scenario Simulation and Incident Management." The exercises were organized within the framework of the project "Strengthening State Police Response Mobility and Counter-Terrorism Capacities by Establishing a Practical Training Center," co-financed by the European Union's Internal Security Fund.

The two-day exercises were attended by experts from Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, who exchanged experiences in incident management and crisis coordination, as well as refined practical response skills. On the first day, representatives of the Baltic police forces presented their countries' experiences in organizing the work of management and coordination units, resource management, and incident management. Participants discussed various approaches, best practice examples, and future development opportunities.

Meanwhile, the second day featured a practical tactical scenario simulation involving a simulated police response to an active shooter threat and the liberation of endangered persons. The exercises were attended by State Police College cadets, State Police officers, instructors from the State Police Special Tasks Battalion and the State Police College, as well as experts from Lithuania and Estonia.

The project is implemented within the framework of the European Union's Internal Security Fund 2021–2027 programming period, for which the managing authority in Latvia is the Ministry of the Interior.