16 New Police Officers for Special Unit WEGA

"The WEGA is on patrol in Vienna around the clock and is on site within minutes for dangerous operations. This proven success model has been adopted with the introduction of Rapid Intervention Groups in all other federal states. The aim of these measures is the greatest possible safety for our population," said Interior Minister Gerhard Karner at the WEGA graduation.

16 New WEGA Officers Strengthen the Vienna Task Force

For the basic training course, 81 applications were received, and on April 1, 17 officers were admitted. One of the officers ended the training due to an injury. During their training, the officers expanded their knowledge in areas such as operational tactics, operational technology, and shooting.

The primary task of the WEGA is to support operations with increased danger potential and to quickly intervene in special operational situations. Additionally, the WEGA is responsible for nationwide training and further education in the area of the Large Security Police Order Service (GSOD), which ensures safety at assemblies, demonstrations, football matches, and other major events.

"Highest professionalism, determination, and reliability - these qualities distinguish the WEGA. The officers of the special unit support the police officers on patrol day and night - mostly in dangerous situations that require special training and extraordinary stress resilience. With the 16 colleagues now graduated, the unit receives valuable reinforcement. They have proven in recent months that they meet the high demands and are ready to take responsibility in critical operational situations," says Deputy State Police President Dieter Csefan.

WEGA Served as a Model for Rapid Intervention Groups in the Federal States

After the terrorist attack in November 2020, rapid response forces based on the Vienna WEGA model were created in Austria, except Vienna. These consist of Rapid Intervention Groups and standby units and are intended to support and quickly intervene in cases of increased threat potential. Since 2021, there have been almost 45,000 operations with over 8,800 arrests and around 335,000 identity checks. The standby units regularly assist with patrol services, large assemblies, and public space controls.

(Red)

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