Spezialeinsatzkommando (SEK, "Special Task Force") are police tactical units of each of the 16 German state police forces that specialized in quick response to emergencies with SWAT unit tactics. Along with the Mobiles Einsatzkommando (MEK), Personenschutzkommando (bodyguards), and the Verhandlungsgruppe (negotiation teams in some states), they are part of the police Spezialeinheiten of each state.
Mainly unrecognized by the media and public, the main missions of SEK units are to anti-irregular military in urban areas, apprehension of armed and dangerous criminals, high-risk law enforcement situations, hostage rescue crisis management, serve high-risk arrest warrants, support counterterrorism, and raids also belong to their missions as well as other scenarios like personal security details for VIPs or witnesses. Since the 1970s, each SEK has handled several thousand deployments. The front-runner is the SEK of the Berlin Police with up to 500 deployments a year, an average of 1.4 deployments a day.
The comparable unit of the German Federal Police is the GSG 9.