"Krone" on the ground

24,000 arrests since “Tosca” took up duty

In an emergency, equipment and weapons add up to more than 18 kilograms of extra luggage.(Bild: Imre Antal)

The Vienna police's riot unit is celebrating its first dozen: one third of the population has been checked since its inception. Hundreds of thousands of checks have led to countless arrests and reports. The commander takes stock in an interview with the "Krone" newspaper.

Soon afterwards, in 2012, the initially rather lacklustre birth of the local police's standby unit coincided with the introduction of the night subway in the capital.

A rapid response force was needed for major events or special operations, but initially only eight vehicles and 24 radios were available. Today, "Tosca" is the spearhead of the daily deployment plan. The current 230 officers are well prepared and equipped for all situations.

Batons, Tasers and protective vests are part of the basic equipment.(Bild: Imre Antal)

A possible rescue operation must also be practiced.(Bild: Imre Antal)

The riot unit ensures peace and quiet at demonstrations, high-risk matches and the like.(Bild: Imre Antal)

Tens of thousands of checks, reports & rescue missions
Colonel Manfred Ihle has been at the helm since the starting signal. He is proud of his squad's record: "In just twelve years, we have carried out 682,026 identity checks and 24,191 arrests. We also got our hands on 563 people with a valid arrest warrant."

I am proud of my squad. We try to make the city even safer and react quickly in an emergency. We actually always manage to do that.

Oberst Manfred Ihle, Kommandant der „Tosca“

Bild: Imre Antal

In other words, one in three Viennese have had an encounter with the "heavy hitters". But first aid missions are also no longer a rarity. "Every police officer wants to help, and we are also prepared for this," emphasizes Ihle.