Afghanistan The
Afghan National Police is responsible for civilian law enforcement. Once under the control of the Western-backed government of Afghanistan, it was reorganized as a law enforcement arm of the
Taliban after its takeover of the country in 2021.
Albania demonstrating a take-down during an exhibition in 2010. RENEA is a
counter-terrorism unit operated by the
Albanian State Police. The
Albanian State Police serve as the country's primary police force, and one of three policing services managed by Albanian
Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Albanian State Police operates various subdivisions depending on purpose. Other ministries also manage a police force, including the
Ministry of Defence, the
Ministry of Justice, and the
Ministry of Tourism and Environment.
Algeria Algeria has two police forces, the
Directorate General for National Security, which is responsible for policing urban areas, and the
National Gendarmerie, a branch of the military, which is responsible for policing rural areas. Algeria also has municipal guards whose primary duty is to protect villages and act as an auxiliary force to the police.
Andorra The
Police Corps of Andorra (Catalan:
Cos de Policia d’Andorra) is the national police force of Andorra. It reports to the Ministry of Justice and the Interior; however, in judicial matters, Police act under the orders of the Public Prosecutor's Office It closely collaborates with police forces from other countries, such as the French
National Gendarmerie and the
Spanish Civil Guard and
National Police Corps.
Argentina In
Argentina the most important law enforcement organisation is the
Argentine Federal Police (with a jurisdiction and organization similar to the FBI in the USA) with jurisdiction in all Argentine territories. Argentina is a Federal Republic divided into 23 provinces and one federal district, and as a result, provincial police forces (equivalent to state police in the US) carry out most routine police work, except in the capital city of Buenos Aires (the federal district), which is policed by the
Buenos Aires City Police. A few other cities also have city police forces. The
Argentine National Gendarmerie is responsible for border security, securing places of national strategic importance, assisting provincial police forces in maintaining public security in rural areas, and fighting crimes such as drug trafficking, smuggling, and terrorism. The
Airport Security Police is responsible for policing duties in national public airports. The
Argentine Naval Prefecture acts as a
coast guard and polices navigable rivers.
Armenia The
Police of Armenia is the national civilian Law Enforcement agency of Armenia. It is divided into a police department for the capital city of
Yerevan and one for each of the 10
marzer, or administrative divisions.
Australia equipment used by the
Australian Federal Police. The majority of policing work is carried out by the police forces of the six states that make up the Australian federation, such as the
New South Wales Police Force, the
Victoria Police, the
Queensland Police Service, the
Western Australian Police, the
South Australian Police, the
Tasmania Police and the
Northern Territory Police. The
Australian Federal Police are responsible for policing duties in the
Australian Capital Territory and investigating crimes relating to federal criminal law (particularly crimes with an international dimension) nationwide.
Austria The policing work is carried out basically by federal agencies. The
Federal Police (Bundespolizei) is the uniformed force, the investigative work is done by the regional divisions of the
Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt), the
Landeskriminalamt. Besides the federal agencies, some cities have a
Municipal Police (Stadtpolizei) as well, having the same power as the federal police only restricted by the city boundaries.
Azerbaijan The National Police of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which is administered by the
Ministry of Internal Affairs, is the civilian police force of Azerbaijan. The Prosecutor's Office is responsible for criminal investigations. The
Ministry of Taxes,
Ministry of Justice,
Ministry of Emergency Situations, and
State Border Service maintain internal investigation offices which are responsible for dealing with crimes in specific areas.
Bahamas The
Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) is the national law enforcement agency of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. It operates under the authority of the
Ministry of National Security. Like other small Caribbean countries, the police operate in close collaboration with the armed forces. In this case, internal security is almost exclusively the responsibility of the RBPF, as the
Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) does not have a land component and is primarily dedicated to patrolling territorial waters. The country also has other specialized law enforcement agencies, such as the
Bahamas Customs Service and the Immigration Service.
Bahrain Law enforcement in Bahrain is delegated to the
Public Security Forces, which are divided into different units and departments including the police departments of the four
Governorates of Bahrain, the
Special Security Force Command, Traffic Police, and Coast Guard. The Public Security Forces are an arm of the
Ministry of Interior.
Bangladesh , serving as a part of the
United Nations MONUSCO mission in the
Democratic Republic of Congo. The
Bangladesh Police is the main law enforcement agency of Bangladesh. It is administered under the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of Bangladesh. It plays a crucial role in maintaining peace, and enforcement of law and order within Bangladesh. Though the police are primarily concerned with the maintenance of law and order and security of persons and property of individuals, they also play a big role in the criminal justice system.
Barbados The
Barbados Police Service (BPS) is the main agency tasked with maintaining local law and order in the country of
Barbados. The police force may in times of need call upon the
Barbados Defence Force (BDF) and/or
Regional Security System for additional support.
Belarus Belarus is the heir to a law enforcement system similar to that of the Soviet era. Its main police force is the
Militsiya (lit, Militia), under the authority of the
Ministry of the Interior, and includes the regional police divisions, such as the
Minsk City Police Department. There is also a military-style body with functions similar to those of a gendarmerie, the
Internal Troops. In addition to its role as an intelligence service, the
State Security Committee (KGB RB, a direct heir to its
Soviet counterpart) also serves as a political police force.
Belgium , an escort unit provided by the
Federal Police of
Belgium. The majority of policing work in
Belgium is carried out by the local police forces. The
Federal Police is responsible for policing and investigating serious and organized crimes nationwide. Both forces are autonomous and subordinate to different authorities but are linked through common recruiting, training, and logistical support.
Bhutan The
Royal Bhutan Police is responsible for ordinary policing, and in administering and maintaining the prisons.
Bolivia As a unitarian republic, Bolivia has only one police force, the
National Police Corps (
Cuerpo de Policía Nacional), responsible for internal security, criminal investigation and maintaining law and order. This institution has authority over the entire country, with no other state or local forces, and reports to the national
Ministry of Government.
Botswana The
Botswana Police Service is the sole civilian law enforcement agency of Botswana. It is divided into four regional divisions and seventeen district commands. It has a paramilitary branch, the Special Support Group (SSG), which is run on military lines. The
Botswana Prison Service maintains the nation's prisons.
Bosnia and Herzegovina The Bosnian Police is divided into multiple entities. The
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the
Republika Srpska each maintain separate policies on law enforcement. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has ten
cantonal police forces, each under the canton's Ministry of Interior, and a federation-wide police force, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Police, which is a specialized force covering specific crimes and those that cross cantonal borders. The Republika Srpska has a single centralized police force. The
Brčko District has its own police force. Bosnia and Herzegovina has two national law enforcement agencies, the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) and the State Border Service.
Brazil There are two active federal police services: the
Brazilian Federal Police and the
Brazilian Federal Highway Police. In addition, the
Federal Railroad Police exists on paper but has been inactive for years. Each
state has Military Police/
Polícia Militar and Civil Police/
Polícia Civil, both under the command of the state's governor. Despite their names, the Military Police are public order police, and the Civil Police investigative police. Lastly, more than 1200 cities have
Municipal Guards. The armed forces have their own
provost services.
Bulgaria A number of law enforcement agencies operate in
Bulgaria. The
Ministry of Interior oversees the
National Police Service is in charge of regular policing, the Central Office for Combating Organized Crime, which investigates organized crime and terrorism, the
National Gendarmerie, and the Border Police Service. The
National Investigative Service, which investigates serious crimes, is part of the judicial system.
Burundi The National Police of Burundi is the lone civilian police service responsible for law enforcement across the country. It is divided into numerous branches including: • Internal Security Police (Police de sécurité intérieure) • Judicial Police (Police judiciaire) • Air Police (Police de l'Air) • Border and Aliens Police (Police des frontières et des étrangers) ( Prison Police (Police pénitentiaire)
Cambodia The National Police of Cambodia (
Nokorbal Chéat) is Cambodia's police force which is under the
Ministry of Interior. It is divided into four autonomous units and five central departments. The
Royal Gendarmerie of Cambodia serves as Cambodia's military police force, and has internal security functions such as counter-terrorism, countering violent groups, and suppressing prison riots.
Canada in 2014. In Canada, the development of criminal legislation falls under federal jurisdiction, but the enforcement of these laws is generally a
provincial responsibility. In contrast to the
United States or
Mexico, there are only two specialized criminal law enforcement agencies in Canada, and the vast majority of criminal law enforcement is conducted by local police services, which maintain specialized criminal investigation units in addition to their community safety mandate. Other law enforcement is provided by
special constabularies, which typically provide specialized police services to transit systems, universities, parks, and municipalities, and
civil law enforcement agencies, which usually do not have a policing role. Every province in Canada, with the exception of
Newfoundland and Labrador, downloads the responsibility for local policing onto municipalities, which can operate their own police forces, share regional police services with surrounding communities, or enter into a contract with the provincial government for police services. but these services have been historically underfunded compared to non-Indigenous police forces and the program that funds Indigenous police agencies was under review as of 2022. Since the 1990s, an increasing share of Canadian police forces and municipalities have adopted
tiered police service delivery models, which reduce the responsibilities of police services by off-loading certain duties — such as forensic investigations, mental health crisis response, traffic enforcement, or low-risk calls for service — to non-police specialists or unarmed peace officers. There is also a federal police force, the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP;
French:
Gendarmerie Royale du Canada; GRC), responsible for the enforcement of criminal legislation that concerns the entire federation, such as anti-terrorism operations; border patrols between official crossings; several police-related programs, such as the Canadian Police College and
Canadian Firearms Program; domestic counter-espionage with the assistance of the
Canadian Security Intelligence Service; and, uniquely and controversially, the delivery of provincial and municipal police services under contract. The RCMP provides contracted police services to eight provinces, all three Canadian territories, around 600 Indigenous communities, and about 150 municipalities directly.
Chile in
Santiago. Chile has two national police forces. The
Carabiniers of Chile (
Carabineros de Chile) serve as the uniformed security police force with jurisdiction over all Chilean territory; despite being a gendarmerie, this name is reserved for the national prison security force, the
Chilean Gendarmerie (
Gendarmería de Chile). Criminal investigation duties are performed by the
Investigations Police (
Policía de Investigaciones de Chile). Both forces operate under the authority of the
Ministry of Public Security, while the gendarmerie reports to the
Ministry of Justice.
China, People's Republic of China . In the
People's Republic of China (PRC), civilian police is mainly done by the
People's Police, a branch within the
Ministry of Public Security organs, typically through local
public security bureaus (PSBs) all under the
Ministry of Public Security (MPS), with the assistance of the paramilitary force, the
People's Armed Police (PAP). The PAP, including the
China Coast Guard (CCG), is under the sole administration of the
Central Military Commission (CMC) from 2018. The People's Police has two other executive branches under the
Ministry of State Security (MSS) and the
Ministry of Justice (MOJ), as well as two Judicial Police branches under the
Supreme People's Court (SPC) and the
Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP),
Hong Kong stop a vehicle in a lane intended for buses and trams. As a
special administrative region of China,
Hong Kong maintains a high degree of autonomy from the
Central Government of the PRC, such as maintaining its own law enforcement service. The
Hong Kong Police Force () operate under local legislations and the
Hong Kong Basic Law and within the traditional constabulary concept of preserving life and property, preventing and detecting crime and keeping the peace. For times of emergency the force has a paramilitary capability. The
Commissioner of Police reports to the
Secretary for Security, who is responsible for all
disciplined services in Hong Kong.
Macau As a
special administrative region of China,
Macau maintains a high degree of autonomy from the Central Government of the PRC, such as maintaining its own law enforcement service. There are two branches of police forces in Macau: •
Corpo de Polícia de Segurança Pública (CPSP – Public Security Police Force) – a civil uniformed police force, responsible for rule and order in the entire territory. •
Polícia Judiciária (PJ – Judiciary Police) – responsible for major criminal investigations. In addition,
Serviços de Polícia Unitários (SPU – Unitary Police Service) leads, commands and coordinates the anti-crime operations carried out by CPSP and PJ.
Colombia escort
Luis Gómez to be
extradited to the United States. The
National Police of Colombia (Spanish: Policía Nacional de Colombia) is the national police force of Colombia. Although the National Police is not part of the Military Forces of Colombia (Army, Navy, and Air Force), it constitutes along with them the "Public Force"[2] and is also controlled by the Ministry of Defense. Unlike many nations that use a tiered system of law enforcement, the National Police is the only civilian police force in Colombia. The force's official functions are to protect the Colombian nation, enforce the law by constitutional mandate, maintain and guarantee the necessary conditions for public freedoms and rights and ensure peaceful cohabitation among the population. For these purposes, the police have rural police divisions (the "carabineros"), traffic police, investigations, anti-drugs, intelligence, citizen security, internal control, among others. The police force divides its functions into local and
departmental deconcentrated units, such as the police departments (which act as departmental police forces and in some geographical areas under the command of the governors) and the metropolitan police forces that operate in the main cities; there are also
police stations in each
municipality and the police officers who operate within these are under the command of the respective
mayor's office. Annual budget US$3.6 to 4 billion There are 147,000 employees. Although in Colombia the main force for compliance with civil law is the National Police and its divisions, there are other smaller units such as the
Colombia Migration Unit in charge of the
Foreign Ministry, the
Technical Investigation Corps in charge of the
Attorney General's Office, and some local transit agents who fulfill some law enforcement functions in their respective areas.
Costa Rica The
Public Force of Costa Rica is responsible for law enforcement duties, acting as both a civilian police force and gendarmerie. In addition to ordinary policing, it is responsible for border patrol, counter-insurgency, riot control, tourism security, and coast guard duties.
Croatia Law enforcement in Croatia is the responsibility of the Croatian Police (Croatian:
Hrvatska policija), which is the sole police force of the country, subordinated by the
Ministry of the Interior. Through the authority of the General Police Directorate, it carrying out tasks from regular policing and control of road traffic, to border protection and major national investigations.
Cuba Law enforcement in Cuba is the responsibility of the
National Revolutionary Police Force (Spanish: Policía Nacional Revolucionaria, PNR) under the administration of the
Cuban Ministry of the Interior, which in turn reports to the
Council of State. The PNR is responsible for uniform policing, criminal investigation, crime prevention, juvenile delinquency, and traffic control across the 14 provinces of Cuba. In addition, the PNR is supported by the
Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR), a network of neighborhood committees across the country, which provide, among other community services, a nightly neighborhood watch.
Cyprus The
Cyprus Police is responsible for civilian law enforcement. Its specialized units include the
Cyprus Police Aviation Unit, the
Cyprus Port and Marine Police, the
Emergency Response Unit, and Presidential Guard. The
Cyprus Prisons Department guards inmates.
Czech Republic The main law enforcement agency in the
Czech Republic is the
Policie ČR, charged with making arrests, investigating crimes, ensuring road and highway security, and other standard policing tasks. Directed by the
Policejní prezident, who holds a rank of
colonel or general, policie officers hold ranks similar to those of the military. At the municipal level, city police (
Městská policie) are funded and directed locally. Sizes of local forces vary and officers have only limited law-enforcement powers, such as traffic enforcement; they can make arrests and must call on the national police to handle serious problems.
Denmark officers
arresting an individual on the trunk of a
police car. The main law enforcement agency is the
Police of Denmark (da:
Politiet), under the
Danish Ministry of Justice, including 12 common police districts, the state nationwide police force
Rigspolitiet, the national intelligence service
Politiets Efterretningstjeneste and the special tactical forces
Politiets Aktionsstyrke. Further more a
Danish military police branch (da:
Militærpolitiet) and Danish home guard unit
Politihjemmeværnet exists.
Dominican Republic The country has a single police force, the
Dominican National Police (
Policía Nacional Dominicana), which is divided into specialized units, such as homicide investigation, anti-narcotics, tourist police, and financial crimes. Although it is not a gendarmerie but a civilian force (under the authority of the Ministry of the Interior and Police), its ranks and structure are similar to those of the
Dominican Army.
Ecuador The
National Police of Ecuador (
Policía Nacional del Ecuador) is the only national police force and the main civil law enforcement agency of the country, and its subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior. In addition to its functions as a security police force, it has a specialized investigative division, the Judiciary Police (
Policía Judicial).
El Salvador Law enforcement in El Salvador is a national civilian police. It covers the Salvadoran territory, and it has five divisions (Traffic, Tourism, General Inspection, Community, and its academy). The National Civil Police was
constituted on the Article 159 to establish after the Salvadoran Civil War, and maintained by the
Ministry of Justice and Public Safety.
Egypt The
Egyptian National Police, a department of the
Ministry of Interior, is responsible for law enforcement in Egypt. The
Central Security Forces, a paramilitary force, is responsible for assisting the police. The
Egyptian Army also has a Military Police Corps divided into 24 battalions.
Estonia Law enforcement in Estonia is carried out by the
Police and Border Guard Board, an agency of the Estonian Interior Ministry. It is divided into the Estonian Police and Estonian Border Guard. The Estonian Police, responsible for civilian law enforcement, is divided into four territorial police units called prefectures and three national units: the Central Criminal Police, the Central Law Enforcement and the Forensic Service Center. The Estonian Border Guard is an armed organization charged with protecting the nation's borders on land and sea.
Ethiopia The Ethiopian Federal Police is the federal law enforcement agency of Ethiopia. It maintains law and order at the federal level, including riot control, and investigates organized crime. The
regions of Ethiopia maintain their own regional police commissions. The Ethiopian Federal Police provides operational support to the regional police commissions, coordinates between them, and sets national policing standards.
Fiji Fiji has a unified national police force, the Fiji Police, responsible for law enforcement throughout the country. The only other police force is a local police service on
Rabi Island.
Finland unit of the
Finnish Police. Law enforcement in
Finland is under the jurisdiction of the
Finnish Police. The
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) () is a national unit tasked with "crime prevention and provision of expert services." Civil protection, including counter-terrorism, is handled by The
Finnish Security Intelligence Service (FSIS) ().
France France has two national police forces, the
National Police and
National Gendarmerie. The National Police is the main civil law enforcement agency in France, with primary jurisdiction in cities and large towns. The National Gendarmerie, a branch of the
French Armed Forces under the jurisdiction of the
Ministry of the Interior, polices smaller towns, rural, and suburban areas. About 3,500 municipalities also employ
municipal police, who are under the direct authority of the mayor. The national capital Paris is policed by the
Paris Police Prefecture, a subdivision of the Ministry of the Interior. Some rural communes also have a
Garde champêtre, or rural guard, responsible for limited local patrol and environmental protection. Only certain designated police officers within the two national police forces have the power to conduct criminal investigations, which are supervised by investigative magistrates.
Georgia The Georgian Police, which is a division of the
Ministry of Internal Affairs, is responsible for law enforcement in Georgia.
Germany stop a bus to search it, in an effort to combat
drug trafficking. Germany is a
federal republic of sixteen
States (Land). Each one of those States has its own police force called
Landespolizei (State Police), that provides basic law enforcement and crime fighting services. Each
Landespolizei is supervised by the respective State Minister (or, in the City States of
Bremen,
Hamburg and
Berlin, the Senator) of Internal Affairs. The Federal authorities have law enforcement agencies as well: • the
Bundeskriminalamt (
BKA, "Federal Criminal Police Office") which is only responsible for cases which are exceeding the borders of a single State, or for cases of international dimension. • the uniformed
Bundespolizei (BPOL, in casual language also
BuPo; "Federal Police"). Until 2005, the BPOL was called
Bundesgrenzschutz ("Federal Border Protection"), but after expanded competences (e.g. for the railways) in the 1990s and the abolition of border controls in the European Union, its name was changed to emphasize the law enforcement nature of the corps in an international context. Depending on the state's laws, the German cities also provide policing agencies like
Stadtpolizei (Municipal Police) or
Ordnungsamt (local bylaw agency).
Ghana The
Ghana Police Service is the main law enforcement agency of Ghana. It is organized at the national level and is divided into regional commands which report to National Headquarters. The
Bureau of National Investigations is responsible for countering organized crime and financial crime, espionage, sabotage, terrorism, hijacking, piracy, and drug trafficking.
Greece officers riding on
police motorcycles. The Hellenic Police Force (; ) is the police force of the
Hellenic Republic. Tourism Police are an integral part of the Hellenic Police (ELAS), consisting of men and women specially trained and competent to offer tourists information and help, whenever they have any problems. They are trained in resolving minor differences between tourists and commercial enterprises. They all speak foreign languages, including English. They are distinguished by a shoulder badge displaying Tourism Police on their uniforms.
Guatemala Civilian law enforcement is the responsibility of the national police force, the Policia Nacional Civil (PNC), which is divided into departments. The
Armed Forces of Guatemala assist the civilian police in law enforcement tasks.
Haiti The
Haitian National Police (PNH; French: ''Police Nationale d'Haïti
; Haitian Creole: Polis Nasyonal Ayiti
) is the main law enforcement agencie of Haiti. The police force is divided into different divisions, many of these are specialized to address particular chronic crimes that affect the nation, including kidnapping, drugs and gangs; due this, some units have a de facto
military nature. The force also manages the national Coast Guard service (Commissariat des Gardes-Côtes d’Haïti'', G-Cd'H). Since 2004, multinational forces from successive
UN peacekeeping missions (such as the
MINUSTAH and the
MINUJUSTH) have carried out internal security and law enforcement duties in the country. From 2023, these tasks have been primarily undertaken by the
Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), which is composed mostly of members of the
Kenya Police Service.
Honduras The
National Police of Honduras is the uniformed force responsible for maintaining public order and safety, as well as preserving law enforcement and compliance. Its jurisdiction covers all 18 departments of the country, with two independent metropolitan police headquarters in
the capital and
San Pedro Sula. Under each departmental headquarters, municipal headquarters operate, which include local police stations and outposts, creating a network of at least 360 physical facilities throughout the country.
Hungary . Law enforcement in Hungary was formerly split between the Police (Rendőrség), Border Guards, and the Customs and Excise Authority. In 2008, the border guards were merged with the police service. The police force is maintained by the
Minister of Justice.
Iceland speaking with a man in traffic. The
Icelandic Police (
Lögreglan) is Iceland's police force which is under the Ministry of the Interior. The National Commissioner is the overall commander, but he answers to the minister. The police is divided into 9 districts. Iceland also has a
Directorate of Customs (
Tollgæslan), whose job is to watch and guard imports and exports and more, which is under the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs. Icelandic police constables generally do not carry firearms, instead they carry
telescopic batons and
pepper spray. The National Commissioner has a
Special operations unit which is called the Viking Squad (
Víkingasveitin).
India parade for officers of the
Indian Police Service.
India has numerous
law enforcement agencies. At the federal
Union level, the agencies are part of the
Union Ministry of Home Affairs, and support the states in their duties. India's federal police services controlled by the Ministry of Home Affairs are known as the
Central Armed Police Forces and consist of the
Border Security Force,
Central Industrial Security Force,
Central Reserve Police Force,
Indo-Tibetan Border Police,
National Security Guard, and
Sashastra Seema Bal. Two other
civil services with law enforcement tasks - the
Indian Police Service and
Indian Forest Service, are considered the
All India Services: they are recruited at the federal level but serve under both the federal government and the states and union territories and also
Indian Revenue Service, are considered the
Central Civil Services: they are recruited and serve under federal level only. There are numerous other federal law enforcement agencies, including the
Central Bureau of Investigation,
National Investigation Agency,
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence,
Narcotics Control Bureau and
Enforcement Directorate. Since the federal nature of the Constitution of India mandates law and order and police as a subject of the state, therefore the bulk of the policing lies with the respective
states and union territories. Each state and union territory (UT) has its own police department, which operates under the supervision and control of the respective state or UT's Home Department. These police forces are headed by a
Director General of Police (DGP), who is an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. Bigger cities operate their own metropolitan police forces, also under the state. Apart from the police, state governments also have law enforcement agencies such as the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Excise and Prohibition Department, Forest and Wildlife Department, and Motor Vehicles Department.
Indonesia personnel on briefing in
Jakarta. Law enforcement in
Indonesia is mainly performed by the
Indonesian National Police (POLRI), together with other law enforcement agencies such as the
Indonesia Forest Rangers, Remote Islands and Coastal Development Police, and Agricultural and Animal Quarantine Police, which are under the command of a certain
ministry or
State-owned company (BUMN) which perform policing duties for a certain
public service, these law enforcement agencies are under supervision and are trained by the Indonesian National Police. The Indonesian National Police is basically the
national civilian police force of the country responsible for enforcing law and order of the state. There are also
municipal police units controlled by local governments. The Indonesian military maintains a
Military Police Corps.
Iran The
Law Enforcement Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran is the civil law enforcement agency of Iran. It has numerous agencies including the
Prevention Police,
Security Police,
Traffic Police,
Cyber Police,
Anti-Narcotics Police,
Criminal Investigation Department, and
Special Units. The
Guidance Patrol enforces Iranian
dress code laws. All military police agencies are overseen by the
Central Provost of Islamic Republic of Iran Army.
Iraq The
Iraqi Police is the law enforcement agency of federal Iraq.
Iraqi Kurdistan has a separate police force.
Ireland . Although the Garda Síochána is primarily unarmed, it does maintain an armed unit. The Irish Police force, the
Garda Síochána, translates to "Guardians of the Peace of Ireland". The state has one nationwide police force. All routinely uniformed officers are unarmed. The strength of the Garda Síochána is approximately 12,000 officers, of which 3,000 are licensed to carry firearms. The Garda Síochána operates a number of specialist units including the
GASU (Garda Air Support Unit, consisting of two helicopters and a BN-2A aircraft operated by the
Irish Air Corps from
Casement Aerodrome),
Mounted Unit,
Dog Unit,
Public Order Unit and the anti-terrorism
Special Detective Unit. It has a central command and control system for major city areas. Uniformed Gardaí wear stab-proof body armour and carry expandable ASP batons, handcuffs and pepper spray all introduced by the new Garda Inspectorate. Armed support units include regional
Armed Support Units (ASU) and the national
Emergency Response Unit (ERU), which are comparable to American SWAT or British CO19 and operate a variety of lethal and non-lethal devices. All Gardaí (Police Officers) who train as detectives carry a sidearm.
Israel The
Israel Police (''Mishteret Yisra'el'') is the national police force of the State of Israel, responsible for civilian law enforcement. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Security. The Israel Police has a traffic enforcement arm, the
National Traffic Police, as well as the
Civil Guard ("Mishmar Ezrahi"), a police unit made up of part-time volunteer officers. It also has a gendarme force, the
Israel Border Police (MAGAV), which has its own elite counter-terrorist units. The
Military Police Corps serves as the military police force of the
Israel Defense Forces, responsible for law enforcement among soldiers and guarding military prisons. The
Israel Prison Service oversees the Israeli civilian prison system. Dozens of municipalities maintain their own municipal enforcement units, which are intended to deal with low-level offenses such as petty theft, vandalism, and noise complaints. The personnel of such units, who are called municipal inspectors, do not have arrest powers, but they may issue fines and detain suspects until the police arrive.
Italy Law enforcement in Italy is mainly carried out by different agencies, depending on felony and jurisdiction. On a national level, four police forces operate. The
Arma dei Carabinieri (
gendarmerie), the
Polizia di Stato (national civilian police) and the
Guardia di Finanza (customs police, border police and financial police with military status); are the main forces, the only ones with full powers. There are also the
Polizia Penitenziaria (
prison service), in charge of keeping order in the prison system. is an
honour guard unit provided by the
Carabinieri, a
Gendarmerie force in Italy. Locally, with jurisdiction only in little felonies, There are also
Polizia Provinciale in some of the 109
provinces of Italy, and
Polizia Municipale in every
comune. Even though they support other forces in drug dealing and thefts, their primary function is to patrol streets and prevent felonies. They have full police power in their jurisdiction and they also can do investigation. The
Carabinieri and
Guardia di Finanza are organized as a military force. In recent years,
Carabinieri units have been dispatched all over the world in peacekeeping missions, including
Kosovo, Afghanistan and
Iraq. On a daily basis, calling the 112 emergency number only Polizia or carabinieri will answer as they are the only forces in charge of "Pronto Intervento" (non-sanitarian Emergency) and public safety.
Japan of Tokyo. Japan's
prefectural police departments, which are responsible for policing their respective
prefecture, are overseen by the
National Police Agency, and free of direct central government executive control. They are checked by an
independent judiciary and monitored by a free and active
press. The police are generally well respected and can rely on considerable public cooperation in their work. There are also "special judicial police officers", consisting of the
Imperial Guard, a
security police force of the National Police Agency which protects the Imperial family and Imperial properties, prison guards, who are employees of the Ministry of Justice, narcotics agents and Labor Standards Inspectors of the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare, authorized fisheries inspectors and officers of Regional Forest Offices of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, military police officers of the
Japan Self-Defense Forces, and
Japan Coast Guard officers.
Jordan Law enforcement is carried out by the
Public Security Directorate, the national police force which lies under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Interior.
Kazakhstan Law enforcement in Kazakhstan is handled by the
Kazakhstan police (Қазақстан полициясы,
Qazaqstan polisiasy), under the authority of the
Ministry of Internal Affairs, which also operates a
National Guard with gendarmerie-like duties. Heir of the soviet style security organization, country's internal security and intelligence operations are shared between those agencies, the
National Security Committee (which also manages the
Border Service forces), and the
Office of the Prosecutor General.
Kenya The
Kenya Police is responsible for civilian law enforcement. It maintains a number of specialized branches: •
Administration Police - Responsible for protective and border security services along with countering cattle theft and banditry •
Criminal Investigation Department - Investigates complex cases •
General Service Unit - A paramilitary wing of the police The
Kenya Wildlife Service is responsible for wildlife conservation and protection, particularly against poaching, and the
Kenya Forest Service protects the forests and enforces revenue measures for exploitation of forest products. The Kenya Prison Service is responsible for guarding prisons.
Kosovo The
Kosovo Police (Albanian:
Policia e Kosovës) is the only national policing law enforcement agency of Kosovo. It consists of five departments and eight regional directorates and is represented at the political level by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Public Administration. The Police Inspectorate of Kosovo is an institution that supervises the operations of Kosovo Police; it can investigates criminal offences conducted by police officers, as well as violations of operating standards and laws by the institution as a whole.
Latvia Latvia has three national law enforcement forces. The main one is the
State Police, with security and investigative functions throughout the country. It falls under the authority of the Ministry of the Interior, which also manages the
State Border Guard. The
State Security Service, for its part, serves as an agency for internal security and the defense of constitutional order. There are also municipal police forces.
Lebanon Law enforcement in Lebanon is the responsibility of the
Internal Security Forces.
Luxembourg The
Grand Ducal Police (French:
Police Grand-Ducale; Luxembourgish:
Groussherzoglech Police or simply ''d'Police'') is since 1 January 2000 the sole law enforcement agency in the
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The Police is under the authority of the Luxembourgish Minister for Public Security, although it operates in the name, and under the ultimate (ceremonial) control of the head of state, the
Grand Duke of Luxembourg. during a commemoration ceremony of the
German occupation of Luxembourg during World War II. Previously, the Luxembourgish law enforcement agencies (as well as the Army) were under the command of the Minister of Public Force, a cabinet post that no longer exists. The Grand Ducal Police was created in its current form on 1 January 2000, when the
Grand Ducal Gendarmerie merged with the State-controlled local police forces. The Grand Ducal Police is responsible for ensuring Luxembourg's internal security, fighting crime and corruption, maintaining law and order and enforcing all laws and
Grand Ducal decrees. It is also responsible for assisting the Luxembourgish Army in its internal (war-time) operations, in accordance with the respective legislation and under the authority of the national Commander-in-Chief, the Grand Duke. Municipal regulations are enforced by "Municipal agents" (French:
Agents municipaux; Luxembourgish:
Gemengenagenten), who are partly uniformed but always unarmed municipal employees (no police officers) with strictly limited enforcement powers.
Lithuania Law enforcement in Lithuania is the responsibility of a unified national police force, the Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau, which is under the jurisdiction of the Interior Ministry. From the Police Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is led by the Police Commissar General, the police force branches out to the National and Municipal Police. The National Police is composed of the criminal police, traffic police, public security force and public police.
Malaysia of the
Royal Malaysian Police. The
Royal Malaysian Police or
Polis Diraja Malaysia in
Malay is a main branch of security forces in
Malaysia. Established on 25 March 1807, the force is a centralized organization that has a gamut of roles that ranges from traffic control to intelligence. Its headquarters is located in Bukit Aman,
Kuala Lumpur and divided into 14 state police, including two on East Malaysia consist of Sabah State Police and Sarawak State Police. During the emergency period, the force is a major security forces to track down the communists. The force has seven departments, which consist of 2 tasked with police management and logistic with 5 tasked for multi-crimes prevented, intelligence and security service. The
riot control force known as
Federal Reserve Unit makes up part of the police force. In addition to the Federal Reserve Unit, the Police maintain 2 paramilitary divisions: the
General Operations Forces, which includes the
Senoi Praaq which grew out of the Emergency Jungle Squads, and the special force: the
Pasukan Gerakan Khas (PGK); Special Operations Command; SOCOM of Federal Police), which includes the VAT 69 Police Commandos and UTK. VAT 69 commando battalion is the special force based on by
SAS for fight against the communist threats and the Special Action Units
(Malay: Unit Tindakan Khas), which is modelled on SWAT teams for dangerous crimes prevented and close protections. Besides, the force also created the maritime police special forces known as
Police Combat Diving Unit or
Unit Selam Tempur, who tasked the security of
Straits of Malacca,
Sulu Sea and
South China Sea from the piracy activities and terrorism. The
Rakan Cop is the Malaysian community police which was launched in 2006.
Malta The Malta Police Force is the national police force of Malta, and is responsible for all policing functions. It is overseen by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Mauritius The law enforcement agency of
Mauritius is the
Mauritius Police Force. The
Commissioner of Police (CP) heads the organisation which forms part of the Home Affairs Division of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
Mexico Police forces in Mexico are classified by their jurisdiction and authority into federal, state and municipal forces. Mexico's law enforcement agencies include the
National Guard as main federal law enforcement authority, and independent state and municipal police forces. Within these categories, there is also a division between agencies according to their nature as "preventive" police (the uniformed agents in charge of crime prevention and compliance with administrative regulations, such as the
Mexico City Police), or Investigative agencies (sometimes called "ministerial police"). The last ones obey the authority of the prosecutor's offices (for example, the
Attorney General's Office at federal level), while the others depend directly on the executive power at federal, state or municipal level.
Moldova Moldova has two national police forces, both under the authority of the
Ministry of Internal Affairs. The
General Police Inspectorate is the primary civilian police agency with authority over the entire country, in close cooperation with municipal police departments. The country also has a gendarmerie force, the
Trupele de Carabinieri (lit. "Carabinier Troops").
Morocco The
Moroccan police is called
Sûreté Nationale. The force is tasked with upholding the law and
public order. It works alongside the
Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie, the Gendarmerie body of the
Royal Moroccan Armed Forces.
Myanmar The
Myanmar Police Force, which is overseen by the
Ministry of Home Affairs, is the national police force of Myanmar. It is divided into State and Divisional Police Forces, which have District Police and Township Police forces under their jurisdiction. There are 16 combat police battalions that carry out general security duties, and 26 Anti-Narcotic Task Forces.
Nauru The
Nauru Police Force is the single police agency, responsible for all law enforcement and internal security tasks.
Netherlands The
Dutch National Police is a government agency charged with upholding the law, public order, and providing aid. It is also the investigation service for the
Attorney General of the
Judiciary. The national police are made up of ten regional units and two national ones, one for expertise and operations, the other for investigation and intervention. In addition, supporting divisions of the national police include the Police Services Center, Police Academy, and National Dispatch Center Cooperation. The current chief of the Dutch Police is
Janny Knol. Police duties at airports, borders, and royal residences are provided by the
Royal Marechaussee (Gendarmerie), together with
Private security companies for airports. Local laws, codes, parking, and "Quality of life" issues are enforced by municipal enforcement officers (Handhaving). These officers, together with park rangers, public transport security personnel, and attendance officers have special enforcement officer status (Buitengewoon Opsporings Ambtenaar or Extraordinary Investigating Officer) which allows them to issue fines, detain people, and make arrests. Their policing powers are limited, though they often have the power to use force and handcuffs but generally only carry less-lethal weapons, like batons and pepper spray.
Nepal The
Nepal Police is a government body responsible for enforcing law and order in
Nepal. Along with
Armed Police Force, the police of Nepal is responsible for maintaining law and order and prevention of crime according to the constitution of Nepal and is under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Nepal Police has total 67,416 police personnel and has 2,344 permanent and 507 temporary police offices and units spread all over the country. The present chief of Nepal Police is Chandra Kuber Khapung and chief of Armed Police Force is
Raju Aryal New Zealand prepare to launch the Deodar III, a
police watercraft. The
New Zealand Police are charged with enforcing law in New Zealand. They are a single national police force with a broad policing role (community safety, law enforcement & road safety). New Zealand police officers do not normally carry firearms, although access to firearms is available when circumstances dictate. Specialised units of the New Zealand Police such as the
Armed Offenders Squad, a
SWAT type unit and the
Special Tactics Group are also operational for different scenarios that might arise. New Zealand Police work with other government agencies and non-government groups to achieve the best safety outcomes for all New Zealanders.
Nicaragua The
National Police of Nicaragua is responsible for law enforcement, and sometimes works in conjunction with the Nicaraguan military, making it an indirect and rather subtle version of a gendarmerie.
Nigeria The
Nigeria Police Force is the sole civilian police force in Nigeria. It is under the control of the federal government – there are no state or municipal police forces in Nigeria. It has a paramilitary arm, the
Nigerian Mobile Police.
Norway used by the
Norwegian Police Service. The
Norwegian national police force () is subordinate to the
Ministry of Justice and Police. The Politiet is divided into 27 regional police departments and seven nationwide special departments. In total the force has about 11,000 employees, with the
Oslo police precinct, as the largest, accounting for 2,300. Officers of the Norwegian police usually do not carry firearms, making the force one of the few unarmed police organizations in the world. They are instead armed with
telescopic batons and
pepper spray.
Pakistan constable of
Sindh province of Pakistan. The police in
Pakistan are under the control of the province they work in, with each police having jurisdiction in its own province and its leadership headquartered in the province's capital. A separate
traffic police department exists for managing traffic and is also a provincial force. Only the capital city police are an exception, and is under
federal government control with its own setup. In Punjab a counter-terror unit
elite force within the
Punjab Police was created in 1998. A separate
paramilitary organization in the eastern provinces (
Punjab and
Sindh) known as the
Rangers exist for providing security in the country and to assist the police whenever needed. They also under the control of the province they work in. Their equivalents in the western provinces (
Balochistan and
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) are the
Frontier Corps (FC).The Civil Armed Forces are a group of nine paramilitary and gendarmerie organisations, separate and distinct from the regular Pakistan Armed Forces. They are responsible for maintaining internal security, helping law enforcement agencies, border control, counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism, riot control, and anti-smuggling under the Ministry of Interior. They frequently operate alongside the Pakistani military in response to natural disasters. During times of war they can have their command transferred to the Ministry of Defence, and effectively combined to form a reserve force for the Pakistani military.
Panama The
Panamanian National Police, a branch of the
Panamanian Public Forces, is responsible for civilian policing functions. It is divided into different police zones across the country.
Papua New Guinea The
Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary is the name of the Police force in Papua New Guinea. There are also 20 mobile squads
paramilitary under the Special Services Division of the
Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary which is headed by a Director. The Director reports to the Assistant Commissioner who reports to the three deputy Commissioners who are under the Commissioner of Police.
Paraguay The
National Police of Paraguay is responsible for law enforcement and internal security. It operates under the auspices of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Peru . The national police force in
Peru is called the
National Police of Peru (Policía Nacional del Perú) or PNP. They are the state police force, but serve many of the same roles in the cities that local police forces assume in other countries, such as
traffic control at intersections. Peruvian cities (or
Lima-area districts) each have their own
Serenazgo forces, which perform patrol duties like a
neighborhood watch and call upon the PNP as needed.
Philippines The
Local Government Code of the Philippines mandates the
Barangays to enforce peace and order and provide support for the effective enforcement of human rights and justice, resolving and/or mediating conflict at the barangay level through non-adversarial means. Recourse to this Barangay Justice System is required, with some specific exceptions, as a pre-condition before filing a complaint in court or any government offices. At the national level, law enforcement in the Philippines is handled by two agencies: the
Philippine National Police (PNP) and the
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). Community policing is done by un-armed
barangay tanods who are hired and supervised by their local
barangays, the smallest elected government in the Philippines. Barangay Tanods are often described as volunteers but they do receive in some places small stipends and benefits such as health care. They have some limited training. The thirteen operational support units and their respective functions are as follows: •
Maritime Group (MG). This group is responsible to perform all police functions over Philippine Territorial waters, lakes, and rivers along coastal areas to include ports and harbors and small islands for the security and the sustainability development of the maritime environment. •
Intelligence Group (IG). This group serves as the intelligence and counter-intelligence operating unit of the PNP. •
Drug Enforcement Group (DEG). This group arrests drug lords in pursuant with the Anti-illegal drug law. •
Police Security and Protection Group (PSPG). This group provides security to government vital installations, government officials, visiting dignitaries and private individuals authorized to be given protection. •
Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). This group monitors, investigates, prosecutes all crimes involving economic sabotage, and other crimes of such magnitude and extent as to indicate their commission by highly placed or professional criminal syndicates and organizations. It also conducts organized- crime –control, all major cases involving violations of the revised penal Code, violators of SPECIAL LAWS assigned to them such as Anti-hijacking, Anti-Carnapping and Cybercrimes among others and atrocities committed by Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)/New People's Army (NPA)/National Democratic Front (NDF). •
Special Action Force (SAF). This group is a mobile strike force or a reaction unit to augment regional, provincial, municipal and city police force for civil disturbance control, internal security operations, hostage-taking rescue operations, search and rescue in times of natural calamities, disasters and national emergencies and other special police operations such as ant-hijacking, anti-terrorism, explosives and ordnance disposal. On a special note, the PNP Air Unit is placed under the supervision of SAF. •
Aviation Security Group (AVEGROUP). This group provides security to all airports throughout the country. •
Highway Patrol Group (HPG). This group enforces the traffic laws and regulations, promote safety along the highways, enhances traffic safety consciousness through inter-agency cooperation concerning Police Traffic Safety Engineering, Traffic Safety Education and Traffic Law enforcement functions and develops reforms in the crime prevention aspect against all forms of lawlessness committed along National Highway involving the use of motor vehicles. •
Police-Community Relations Group (PCRG). This group undertakes and orchestrates Police Community Relations program and activities in partnership with concerned government agencies, the community, and volunteer organizations in order to prevent crime and attain a safe and peaceful environment. •
Civil Security Group (CSG). This group regulates business operations and activities of all organized private detectives, watchmen, security guards/agencies and company guard forces. It also supervises the licensing and registration of firearms and explosives. •
Crime Laboratory (CL). This group provides scientific and technical, investigative aide and support to the PNP and other investigative agencies. It also provides crime laboratory examination, evaluation and identification of physical evidence gathered at the crime scene with primary emphasis on medical, biological and physical nature. •
PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG). This Group serves as the primary unit of the PNP in addressing the kidnapping menace in the country and in handling hostage situations. And •
PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP- ACG). This Group is responsible for the implementation of pertinent laws on cybercrimes and anti-cybercrime campaigns of the PNP. •
PNP Air Unit. Provides helicopter to PNP personnels.
Poland (left) walk alongside law enforcement colleagues from the Polish
Customs Service. Law enforcement agencies in
Poland include: •
Policja (police) •
Straż Graniczna (SG) (
border guard), also have
coast guard department. •
Agencja Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego (ABW) –
counterintelligence agency for
internal security tasks •
Żandarmeria Wojskowa (ŻW) (
military police,
military provost) •
Centralne Biuro Antykorupcyjne (CBA) – law enforcement agency designed to fight against
corruption •
Prokuratura – Polish
public prosecutor office (chief section of the Prokuratura is
Prokuratura Generalna) •
Służba Celna – Poland's
customs •
Straż miejska City Guard
Portugal There are three main police forces in
Portugal: •
Polícia de Segurança Pública (PSP – Public Security Police) – a civil uniformed police, responsible mainly for the policing in the large urban areas; •
Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR – Republican National Guard) – a gendarmerie type force, that works mainly in the countryside and small towns; •
Polícia Judiciária (PJ – Judiciary Police) – responsible for the major criminal investigations. There are also other smaller specialized police services, like the
Autoridade de Segurança Alimentar e Económica (ASAE – Food and Economic Safety Authority), the
Polícia Marítima (Maritime Police), the
Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (SEF – Foreign and Border Service) and the
polícias municipais (municipal police).
Qatar The Ministry of Interior oversees the various law enforcement units. The Rescue Police Department, or Al-Fazaa, is responsible for most civilian policing. The Juvenile Police Department is responsible for investigating juvenile crime. The Airport Security Department oversees entry and exit from Qatar. Internal security, espionage, and sedition cases are handled by
Qatar State Security.
Romania General Inspectorate of Romanian Police is the central unit of police in Romania, which manages, guides, supports and controls the activity of the Romanian police units, investigates and analyses very serious crimes related to organized crime, economic, financial or banking criminality, or to other crimes which make the object of the criminal cases investigated by the Prosecutor's Office attached to the
High Court of Cassation and Justice, and which has any other attributions assigned by law. The organizational chart of General Inspectorate of Romanian Police includes general directorates, directorates, services and, offices established by the order of the Minister of Administration and Interior. The General Inspectorate is under the command of a
General Inspector appointed by the Minister of Administration and Interior. Since March 2015, the General Inspector of the Police is appointed by the
Prime Minister and also holds the rank of Secretary of State.
Russia The
Police of Russia are called полиция (
Politsiya). All police forces are overseen by the
Ministry of Internal Affairs, and currently the police is under wide
reform. Until 2011 the police was called милиция (
Militsiya). This change of name started at the
Russian Revolution via a Communist political idea of "''replacing the capitalist police by a people's
militia''"; but the name "militsiya" has persisted after the Communist system collapsed. Numerous cities in Russia have municipal police services and the
Oblasts and
Krais maintain regional police services. The
Republics also have their own police forces. Russia's federal law enforcement agencies are the
Federal Security Service and
Federal Drug Control Service. The standard Russian police
baton is made of rubber. The normal service uniform is black with red piping and hat band. Fur hats and heavy greatcoats are worn in winter.
Rwanda The
Rwanda National Police is responsible for law enforcement in Rwanda. It is divided into the northern, southern, eastern, and western regional commands and has numerous specialized units such as the Special Intervention Force, Canine Unit, Special Airport Police Unit, Revenue Protection Unit, and Police Marine Unit.
Saudi Arabia Regular policing activities are the responsibility of the Department of Public Safety, the highly centralized national police force. Domestic security and counterintelligence is handled by the
Mabahith, or secret police.
Serbia The Police of Serbia is responsible for all local and national law enforcement services in
Serbia. It is overseen by the
Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Singapore The
Singapore Police Force (SPF) is the main agency tasked with maintaining law and order in the city-state. Formerly known as the Republic of Singapore Police. It is composed of full-time professional police officers who make up about 20% of the force, conscripts doing
National Service, and volunteers of the
Volunteer Special Constabulary.
Slovenia used by the Slovenian National Police.
Law enforcement in Slovenia is the responsibility of the Slovenian National Police force, which is composed of 11 police directorates.
Slovakia The
Slovak Police Force is the responsible for law enforcement in Slovakia
Somalia The
Somali Police Force is the main civil law enforcement agency of Somalia. Law enforcement in the autonomous region of
Puntland is provided by the Puntland Police Force, a subdivision of the
Puntland Security Force.
South Africa The
South African Police Service is responsible for providing policing services to the public of South Africa at 1154 police stations, divided across nine provinces.
South Korea undergoing weapons training. The
National Police Agency, or NPA, is the only police organization in
South Korea and is run under the
Ministry of the Interior and Safety. As a national police force it provides all policing services throughout the country. This differs from the situation in many countries including France, where policing is split between the
National Police and
Gendarmerie, and between countries such as the United States which have a layered system of National, State/Regional and/or local Law Enforcement organizations. The NPA is headquartered in
Seoul and is divided into 14 local police agencies, including the
Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. Local police agencies are not independent of the national police. There were 96,000 police officers
Spain Policing in Spain is carried out by a combination of national, regional and local bodies: • The
Civil Guard patrols rural areas as well as highways and ports and investigates crimes there. It is a gendarmerie force and has military status. Civil Guard personnel operate from garrison posts that are called casas cuartel ("home-garrisons") which are both minor residential garrisons and fully equipped Police stations. It answers to both the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defence. • The
National Police Corps is the national civilian police force of Spain. It has a civilian status and deals with criminal offences and public order in urban areas. It includes special anti-riot units. It answers to the Ministry of Interior. • The
municipal police operate in most cities and important towns, concentrating on preventing crime, settling minor incidents, traffic control, and, intelligence gathering. These forces answer to the local governments. • In some Autonomous Communities there is an autonomous police force, under the rule of the regional government, which carries out the duties of the Civil Guard and the National Police. These police forces are the
Mossos d'Esquadra in Catalonia, the
Ertzaintza in the Basque Country, and the
Chartered Police in Navarre. They answer to their respective autonomous governments. The Basque province of Alava retains Spain's oldest police force, the Miñones ("Minions") founded in 1793. Although now an integral division of the Basque Ertzaintza, it answers to the provincial government of Alava. • Additionally, there is a "special administrative police" which is not under the Ministry of the Interior nor the Ministry of Defence, but the Ministry of the Treasury. The
Customs Surveillance Service is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of cases involving contraband, illegal drugs, financial evasion and violations, money laundering, surveillance for financial police purposes and the provision of judicial police services. Despite their civilian status, the officers are trained by both the National Police and the Navy Marines.
Sri Lanka The national police service in Sri Lanka is the
Sri Lanka Police. The police maintains an elite paramilitary commando force, the
Special Task Force, which has taken security duties around the island. Other agencies which have limited police powers are
Sri Lanka Customs, the
Sri Lanka Coast Guard, and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption. The military has police powers limited to military personnel, mainly for internal investigation and guarding military facilities.
Sudan Sudan's main national law enforcement agency is the United Police Forces, responsible for responsible for civil defense, criminal investigations, immigration and customs, passport control, traffic control, and wildlife protection. Police divisions operate within state commands, and state police commissioners report directly to the Director-General of the Police, who answers to the Minister of Interior.
Sweden 's
National Task Force. The
Swedish Police Authority (in
Swedish:
Polismyndigheten, but is usually referred to as
Polisen) is the central administrative authority responsible for the Swedish police that operates under the
Ministry of Justice. The Swedish Police Authority replaced the
National Police Board in 2015. Due to the 2015 reform of the police, the
Swedish Security Service became a separate entity under the
Ministry of Justice, instead of previously being part of the National Police Board. The reform also resulted in Rikskriminalpolisen (National Criminal Investigations Department) being dissolved and its duties transferred to the National Operations Department. The 21 police regions that were established according to the
Counties of Sweden prior to the reform were replaced by six police regions, which were instead divided into 27 local police districts. Swedish police officers are always armed with a 9 mm Sig Sauer handgun, a
telescopic baton and a can of
pepper spray. The Swedish Police Authority maintains three well-trained SWAT elements, the first being the elite counter-terrorism
National Task Force which is the equivalent of Germany's
GSG 9 and the French
GIGN. The second unit being the
Reinforced Regional Task Force (previously known as Piketen), which is trained to handle riot control, hostage situations and high-risk arrests in three of Sweden's major cities;
Stockholm,
Gothenburg and
Malmö. The third element is composed of small, less well-equipped special response units under the jurisdictions of their respective local police districts, they are simply called Regional Task Forces, and they serve officially under the Reinforced Regional Task Force.
Switzerland The police in
Switzerland is mainly the responsibility of the 26 cantons, each of which operates a
cantonal police service. Some municipalities have their own
municipal police departments as well, but most of them are responsible for general law and order and parking enforcement only while in some larger cities they carry out traffic control as well. Only the cities of
Zürich,
Winterthur, and
Lausanne have municipal police departments which provide a full policing service. The Swiss federal government operates the
Federal Office of Police, which coordinates between cantonal police forces. It maintains an investigative arm, the Federal Criminal Police, which includes the
Task Force TIGRIS tactical unit. The Swiss military also operates a military police force.
Syria The
General Security Service is the national police service and internal security force of
Syria and is run under the
Ministry of Interior. It is charged with maintaining law and order, protecting life and property and investigating crimes.
Taiwan (Republic of China) Police on
police motorcycles. The
Taiwanese police is a national police force. It has an
elite Special Forces unit known as the
Thunder Squad. It is trained for dealing with dangerous and high-risk missions, as well as
counter-terrorism due to the potential military threat from the People's Republic of China.
Tanzania The Tanzania Police Force is the national police force of Tanzania, responsible for civilian law enforcement. It is run by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The force is divided into five departments, each headed by a commissioner.
Thailand The
Royal Thai Police is the national police force of Thailand. It is subdivided into several regions and services, each enjoying their own powers. • Crime Suppression Division, Thai
FBI • Immigration • Traffic police
Tunisia The Tunisian National Police, which is overseen by the Ministry of Interior, is mainly responsible for law enforcement tasks. The Judicial Police is responsible for criminal investigations. The
Tunisian National Guard and Presidential Guard help provide internal security.
Turkey water cannon during the
Gezi Park protests. Law enforcement is Turkey is carried out by five separate bodies. The
Turkish National Police () is the civilian police for towns and districts, under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The
Gendarmerie () is a branch of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible only for policing the civilian population in areas that fall outside the jurisdiction of the National Police, mainly rural areas.
Provost services are provided by the Military Police (). The
Turkish Coast Guard () is also a branch of the Armed Forces, responsible for
search and rescue and
maritime border protection. The
National Intelligence Organization () is responsible for internal security. Some limited local law enforcement is carried out by
village guards.
Uganda The
Uganda National Police is the sole civilian law enforcement agency of Uganda.
Ukraine The
National Police of Ukraine is the sole civilian police service of Ukraine. It is operated by the
Ministry of Internal Affairs, which also manages other agencies with specialized law enforcement duties, such as the
Border Guard Service. Under the authority of the same ministry, the country also has a gendarmerie, the
National Guard of Ukraine. In addition to its public order function, during wartime the National Guard can be mobilized as a regular military force and take part in combat operations alongside the
Armed Forces of Ukraine. There are also other independent agencies with investigative powers, especially in corruption affairs involving high government officers, such as the
National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the
State Bureau of Investigation.
United Arab Emirates s operated by the
Dubai Police Force of the
United Arab Emirates. Law enforcement in the United Arab Emirates is divided regionally with each Emirate having its own independent police force. For example, the
Abu Dhabi Police has jurisdiction within the Emirate of
Abu Dhabi and the
Dubai Police Force has jurisdiction within the Emirate of Dubai.
United Kingdom Widely regarded as the home of the first modern police force, law enforcement in the United Kingdom is based on the long-standing philosophy of
policing by consent. Policing and law enforcement are organised separately in each of the legal systems of the United Kingdom as a result of devolution of powers to
Scotland,
Northern Ireland and, to a lesser extent,
London.
England and Wales have 43
local police forces (formerly known as constabularies), each of which covers a '
police area' (a particular
county, grouping of counties or metropolitan area). Since 2012, 41 of these forces have their own directly elected
Police and Crime Commissioner, under the
Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011. The two exceptions are in London, where the
Metropolitan Police is accountable to the directly elected mayor via the
Office for Policing and Crime, and the much smaller
City of London Police that retains the Common Council of the
City as its police authority. officers without
firearms. Most British law enforcement officers do not carry a firearm.
Scotland now has a single national force – the Police Service of Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Seirbheis Phoilis na h-Alba), commonly known as
Police Scotland. It replaced eight former territorial police forces and the
Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency in April 2013 and is overseen by the
Scottish Police Authority, under the terms of the
Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012. The
Police Service of Northern Ireland (Irish: Seirbhís Póilíneachta Thuaisceart Éireann, Ulster Scots: Polis Servis o Norlin Airlan) serves Northern Ireland, succeeding the
Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) in 2001. Following the
Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000, the PSNI is supervised by the
Northern Ireland Policing Board (Irish: Bord Póilíneachta Thuaisceart Éireann, Ulster-Scots: Norlin Airlan Polisin Boord), who are themselves appointed since 2007 by the
Minister of Justice (Northern Ireland) using the
Nolan principles for public appointments. From October 2013 the
National Crime Agency (NCA) operates as the United Kingdom's first national law enforcement agency. Replacing the existing
Serious Organised Crime Agency and
Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, as well as assuming some of the responsibilities of the
UK Border Agency, but not counter-terrorism, for the first time it will have authority for "tasking and coordination" investigative work to local forces under the
Crime and Courts Act 2013. is one of three
special police forces that have a specific, non-regional jurisdiction of enforcement. There are also three
special police forces that have a specific, non-regional jurisdiction – the
British Transport Police,
Civil Nuclear Constabulary,
Ministry of Defence Police. Over the centuries there has been a wide variation in the number of police forces operating within the UK, most of which now no longer exist, see
list of former police forces in the United Kingdom. A few
miscellaneous constabularies with responsibility mostly founded on old legislation to police specific local areas, such as ports and parks, have escaped police reform. Lastly, a number of government bodies that are not police forces have detective powers and enforce laws, such as the
Marine and Fisheries Agency and
UK Border Agency, who employ officers with limited powers of detention and search but generally cannot make full arrests. The majority of British police are never routinely armed with firearms, relying on an extendable
baton and in some cases
Tasers, with specialist armed units always on patrol and called in only when necessary. The exceptions are the Ministry of Defence Police, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary and the Police Service of Northern Ireland which are routinely armed. Uniquely in Britain, there are police forces of
Crown Dependencies such as the
Isle of Man and States of
Jersey and
Guernsey, who have police forces that share resources with the UK police, whilst having a separate administration within their own governments. The
British Overseas Territories, have their own police forces which are generally based on the British model of policing. The
British Armed Forces also maintain
military police units: the
Royal Military Police,
Royal Air Force Police,
Royal Navy Police, and
Royal Marines Police. Military police personnel are not constables under UK law and only have police powers in relation to service personnel.
United States In the United States, the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other
federal police agencies such as the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives,
Drug Enforcement Administration,
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement,
United States Secret Service,
United States Marshals Service,
United States Park Police,
United States Capitol Police,
United States Mint Police,
United States Postal Inspection Service, and the
United States Pentagon Police are limited to the enforcement of federal laws and usually specialize in certain crimes or duties, but do enforce some state laws. Most crimes constitutionally fall under the jurisdiction of
state police or the thousands of
local police forces. These include
county police departments and
sheriff's offices as well as municipal or city police departments. Many areas also have
special agencies such as
campus police,
railroad police,
airport police,
transit police,
tribal police, housing police, or a district or precinct constable. All states except
Hawaii maintain state police agencies. Most counties have sheriff's offices led by a
sheriff who is elected by the people of the county to the position, though some have county police forces which are not led by an elected official, and others have both a sheriff's office and county police department. Most cities and many towns maintain their own police departments, including even small towns with police departments consisting of a few officers. In addition, most state universities maintain their own police departments, as do many airports and seaports. The
United States Armed Forces maintain numerous
military police agencies. There are approximately 18,000 federal, state, county, and local law enforcement agencies in the United States, most of them municipal police departments.
Uruguay The
National Police of Uruguay is responsible for maintaining law and order. It is overseen by the Ministry of the Interior.
Venezuela The
Bolivarian National Police (Venezuelan National Police) is responsible for law enforcement duties in national jurisdiction. Likewise, there are state police bodies in charge of the autonomy of each state and its state constitution; some examples are the Autonomous Police Institute of the
State of Miranda, or the Bolivarian Police Force of the
State of Zulia. In addition to these, there is also the
Scientific, Penal, and Criminal Investigation Service Corps and the Bailiff Corps (Spanish: Cuerpo de Alguacilazgo), the latter serves the Venezuelan judiciary and performs police duties in the courts, with powers similar to that of the United States Marshals Service.
Vietnam The single law enforcement agency in Vietnam is the
Vietnam People's Public Security, which answers to the
Ministry of Public Security.
Zambia The
Zambia Police Service is the single civilian law enforcement agency of Zambia. It is under the portfolio of the
Ministry of Home Affairs.
Zimbabwe The
Zimbabwe Republic Police is the national police service of Zimbabwe. It has various specialized units such as the Duty Uniformed Branch (DUB), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), National Traffic Branch, Police Protection Unit(PPU) and Support Unit also known as riot police or Gondo harishayi. == See also ==