CEPOL training activity in Portugal brings together crowd and riot control specialists to strengthen law enforcement skills at major events level

The CEPOL Course 71/2023 on Public Order and Crowd Management - Security during Major Events, took place from 25-29 September, in Lisbon. It was organised jointly by the Portuguese Guarda Nacional Republicana´s School of Guard and the Intervention Unit, under the umbrella of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL).

The aim was to enhance EU Member States, associated and candidate countries’ law enforcement knowledge and expertise on public security and order. This was achieved by sharing and reflecting on the Crowd and Riot Control Forces recent evolution, in terms of their characteristics, structure, organisation, equipment, doctrine and level of engagement in operational situations, both in terms of large- scale events, organised crime, cross-border cooperation and attacks carried out by lone-actor terrorists or violent lone criminals.

29 learners from different Member States, associated and candidate countries, such as Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine and Portugal participated in this course. The course was based on training sessions hosted by renowned national and international speakers and trainers from institutions such as Europol, United Nations and Member States, including Germany (Präsidium der Bayer Bereitschaftspolizei) and Portugal (Guarda Nacional Republicana and Polícia de Segurança Pública).