| Unit Name: | Special Intervention Unit |
| Dates: | 1972 – present[1] |
| Agency: | Helsinki Police Department |
| Type: | Police tactical unit |
| Ops Juris: | National |
| Headquarters: | Helsinki |
| Common Name: |
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| Sworn Type Label: | Officers |
| Sworn: | Approx. 60 (2011) |
| Programmes: | --> |
| Animals: | 4 police dogs (2011) |
The Police Special Intervention Unit (SIU)[2] (;), known as Special Intervention Unit Karhu,[2] is the tier one national police tactical unit in the Helsinki Police Department (HPD) of the Police of Finland.[2]
The unit's missions primarily involve anti-irregular military, apprehension of armed and dangerous criminals, counterterrorism and hostage rescue crisis management, executive protection, high-risk tactical law enforcement situations, operating in difficult to access terrain, protecting high-level meeting areas, special reconnaissance in difficult to access and dangerous areas, support crowd control and riot control, and tactical special operations.
It is commonly known as the Bear Squad .
The Police Special Intervention Unit was formed as a national police tactical unit in the spring of 1972.[2] It provided security for the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe, held in Helsinki in 1975.
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. According to Finnish law, all counterterrorism and hostage rescue 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 crisis management situations.
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.[3] [4]
Karhu is also tasked to support other police units when necessary.[2]
Karhu often does joint training with the Utti Jaeger Regiment.[5]