Friendship Week in Germany

From July 26 to August 4, 2012 the Kirov delegation consisting of 82 persons visited the Friendship Week, which took place in Selm-Bork, North Rhine-Westphalia  (NRW), Germany. The German side (IPA Bork) kindly provided for our visitors buildings of Police Academy (Landesamt fűr Ausbildung, Fortbildung und Personalangelegenheiten der Polizei Nordrhein - Westfalen - LAFP), which prepares law enforcement officers and policemen.

In addition to large Russian delegation presented by the Kirov region Russian Section IPA the delegations from Ukraine, Estonia, Lithuania, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Romania attended at Friendship Week, there were also guests from faraway Australia. Total number of participants has reached the number of 180 people.

Participants were expected with a very intense program, which began with a tour around the Academy complex (LAFP). All the delegates were impressed by the advanced infrastructure and equipment of the complex, which, incidentally, has been fully provided for the use of the delegates. The complex includes modern gallery ranges, a huge swimming pool, sauna, bowling hall, fitness and sports halls, a huge stadium with running tracks, a race track for testing driving skills. There are the classes for the criminal process and criminalistics, forensic science and other specialized and applied sciences, library. In general, there are all the opportunities for a good training and recreation of future police officers.

During the Friendship Week in Selm-Bork the tourists have visited a number of cities in North Rhine-Westphalia (such as Münster, Bochum, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Essen, Dortmund, Aachen, Brule) and the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Maastricht). In addition to excursions in North Rhine-Westphalia, the delegates visited  a dog breeding school, the Central Police Office in the city of Dortmund, Dusseldorf Airport, there the visitors were able to go “behind the scenes”, and also they visited the training center for the German Special Forces.

On August 2 the members of the Kirov region IPA Russia with the guests from other countries visited Special Forces Training Center of North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany). The Centre is located in a wooded area near the town of Bocholt, and surrounded by mountains, which helps to ensure privacy and security training for the officers. The Head of Special Forces Training Center, Radi by name, conducted a tour around the Centre. His face was not masked from the camera, because, according to his words, “everybody knows him here”. Almost all the Special Forces officers got the experience of combating terrorism during business trips to “hot spots” in Afghanistan and the former Yugoslavia. Teams are completed with police officers with good mental and physical abilities who had passed a rigorous psychological selection, numerous sports tests. A candidate for serving in Special Forces, who has past all the levels of the trials, signs a contract for service with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia. Financial support of Special Forces officers is 15% higher than in other police departments. Each federal state has its own Training Center for Police Special Forces. In addition, there is a special group, which is directly under the ferule of the Federal Minister of the Interior. The tasks of Police Special Forces of North Rhine-Westphalia are terrorism and other criminal elements reconnoitering; destroying or disabling terrorist forces, their equipment and weapons;  direction and control fire on the criminals;   rescue of hostages; protection of civilian personnel during the execution of their missions in terms of increased terrorist threat; the security of diplomatic representatives; consulting other intelligence agencies in combating organized crime. Special Forces squad is able to act on land, marine and other water bodies, to parachute. Every person has different skills and abilities that can be applied in a specific operational situation. Special Forces officers are equipped with modern automatic and cold weapons of different models, grenade launchers, night vision devices, laser aiming devices and other tactical means of illumination. The Special Forces Training Center has a complex of facilities, including room for theoretical classes and recreation, facilities for training of mine and explosive events, indoor combat assaults, shooting galleries.

The participants of the Friendship Week were waited not only busy days, but also interesting evenings. On Tuesday, August 31 the French evening with cheese, red wine and other refreshments was organized. Also Boccia (Boule-ball, French ball) tournament was held. First place was taken by the Estonian team, Russia was on the honorable second place. On Thursday, August 2 there was the culmination of the Friendship week - Gala Night. During the official part of Gala Night the countries which participated for the first time (Austria, the Netherlands and Australia) in this Friendship week planted their trees. Then there was a meeting with the Deputy Minister of the Interior of North Rhine-Westphalia, the delegates had a welcome speech, and words of gratitude to the organizer of the Friendship week Konrad Broeker, gave gifts and souvenirs. The most memorable gift was the figure of a policewoman, handed by Nikolay Koshcheev, president of the Kirov region IPA Russia. This hand-made figure is molded from bread, and then painted. Prisoners of one the colonies in the Kirov region made it. Wine and brie session, dances, pleasant conversations and stunning fireworks followed the official part.

This Friendship week is held every two years. All participants were very satisfied with the organization of the event, brought new friends and have consolidated the old relationships.