The Special Police Unit (PJM) is composed of police located in every municipality in Belgrade, and of personnel recruited from the regular traffic police. They work together with members of the Special Anti-terrorist Unit (SAJ). The roles of the PJM may include intervention in demonstrations, security for public gatherings and protection of important institutions, such as the Federal, Republic, and City Assemblies, the Serbian Presidency, the RTS [Serbian Radio and Television] building, Radio Belgrade, and the POLITIKA building.

The PJM's participate were present on June 1, 1993 and 9 March 1991 in Belgrade during demonstrations, as well as in February 1997, against demonstrators in Belgrade. 5,000 policemen participated, in co-operation with Special Police Units of the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) and the Intervention Brigade of the Belgrade Secretariat for Internal Affairs (SUP).

Members of the PJM were also involved in the Bosnian war under the command of Franko Simatovic Frenki, commander of the special forces of the State Security Service (SDB). Kosovo is one of the PJM priority deployment areas. When the situation in the Drenica area became complicated, a 700-strong special unit brigade was sent to Kosovo. Training for PJM members happens several times a year, whenever necessary. There is one exercise, and all the rest is drill. They concentrate on setting up crowd control cordons. This does not apply to demonstrations alone, but this training is applied for soccer games and for guarding important people. Cordons are not intended for use of physical strength or repression so long as its members are not threatened. PJM members get a slightly higher salary of 2,100 dinars, compared to the 1,700 dinars or a regular uniformed police officer.

Information provided courtesy of Peter Tomich.

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