It sounds paradoxical: firearms are widely seen as instruments with which to spread death and destruction, but in the right hands they also guarantee the maintenance of public order and security. Police, Royal Military Police, Defense and some special investigating officers cannot do without reliable weaponry. For their own safety, but also to be able to use their legally mandated monopoly on violence against organized crime, terrorists and hostile state actors. In short, weapons are part of the security chain in the world anno 2026, in which dangers and threats are piling up.
In the closed booth, representatives of all arms-carrying public order and security services are welcome by invitation to learn about developments in firearms and ballistic protection. A government identification card is required to gain access. In groups of up to 10 people, visitors will gain insight into weapons technology that can assist them in their work under often difficult conditions.
And how difficult working conditions in law enforcement can be is evident in today's police practice, among others. Organized crime reigns supreme with more and increasingly severe firearm violence, mostly in criminal settlements. In addition, police face increasingly violent activism and demonstrations in which officers are sometimes in mortal danger. Police leadership and unions are therefore asking politicians to expand their arsenal of weapons with "intermediate solutions" between truncheon/pepper spray and the use of firearms, the ultimate means of violence. The House of Representatives has ordered the Ministry of Justice and Security to investigate these alternative weapons.
Non-lethal solutions exist, in the form of weapons that fire non-lethal projectiles and "pepperball guns. Pepper spray is far from effective and only works at close range. A pepperball gun is a means by which the components of pepper spray can be used effectively at greater distances to bring violent individuals "under control. In the private Restricted Area, the pepperball guns, derived from "paintball guns," are on display and the manufacturer is happy to provide explanations.
Practical info
The Restricted Area can be visited on both days at booth #E40 and is intended exclusively for representatives of weapon-carrying government agencies and other authorized security organizations.
Interested parties from this target group who wish to visit the restricted area must register in advance. This is necessary for access to the restricted area.