National Police Intervention Groups

National Police Intervention Groups (GIPN) (French: Groupes d'Intervention de la Police Nationale) are regional tactical units of the French National Police. Its motto is "La cohésion fait la force" or "Cohesion brings strength."

History

After the tragic events of the Munich massacre in which the Israeli team was 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, taking of hostages, escorts etc.

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 the first hostage-rescue team, of the French National Police.

The National Police initially formed 11 intervention groups but reduced this number to seven by 1985. This was later expanded to nine with the creation of GIPN units in Réunion in 1992 and in New Caledonia in 1993.