The Police Special Intervention Unit was formed as a national police tactical unit in the spring of 1972 unit after the Munich massacre to provide security for the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe , held in Helsinki in 1975 . According to Finnish law , all counter-terrorist operations are within the jurisdiction of the Police . In addition to operative units , the group includes sniper , technical support , police dog , and bomb disposal teams . It can be reinforced with a negotiation team during hostage situations . The Karhu Unit operates under the authority of the Helsinki Police Department and , in turn , the National Police Board and the Ministry of the Interior . Team members are selected from currently serving law enforcement personnel and undergo a training of one year , followed by a continuous on-the-job training programme . They alternate between normal field work , training and special operations duties : Training takes approximately half and special operations of their time while the rest consists of regular duties . The team had a strength of around 60 officers and 4 police dogs in 2011
Munich massacre
Munich massacre
Police Rapid Response Unit (Finland)