‘Our main strength is support’: Interview with Police Major General Dr. Csaba Tarcsa, Commander of the Rapid Response and Special Police Service

Abstract

The Rapid Response and Special Police Service (hereinafter referred to as the „KR”) is a nationally competent police body subordinate to the National Police Headquarters (ORFK), a permanent police force of the Hungarian Police. Its motto: „Unity, Loyalty, Honour”. The KR forces are distinguished by the fact that they wear a burgundy pilot cap, a burgundy armband on their left upper arm, and „Készenléti Rendőrség” on the back of their outer garments instead of „POLICE”, and instead of white their vehicles are pa inted silver metallic. The regular headcount of KR, including its Budapest and rural subdivisions, is 9079 person. The commander of the police body is the Deputy National Chief of Police Operations, who is the director and head of the eight directorates and the four organizational divisions. From 1 September 2021, Police Major General dr. Csaba Tarcsa, former Director of the National Bureau of Investigation of the KR (hereinafter: NNI) took over the command of the KR. Among other things, we asked the Commander how the work of such a diverse unit with different activities could be managed in a coordinated way, and what challenges he faced.