National Police of Nicaragua

National Police of Nicaragua Policía Nacional Nicaragüense
Official seal of La Policía Nacional Nicaragüense
Motto	Honor, Seguridad, Servicio
	Honor, Security, Service
Agency overview
Formed	August 22, 1979
Legal personality	Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
National agency (Operations jurisdiction)	Nicaragua
Legal jurisdiction	As per operations jurisdiction.
General nature	Law enforcement Civilian agency
Operational structure
Headquarters	Managua, Nicaragua
Agency executive	Aminta Granera Sacasa, Commander, Chief of Police
Website
http://www.policia.gob.ni/ (Spanish)

The National Nicaraguan Police Force (La Policía Nacional Nicaragüense) is the national police of Nicaragua. The force is in charge of regular police functions and, at times, works in conjunction with the Nicaraguan military, making it an indirect and rather subtle version of a gendarmerie.

However, the Nicaraguan National Police work separately and have a different established set of norms than the nation's military.

The Nicaraguan National Police emerged and took form in July 1979 after the previous gendarmerie, the National Guard, was overthrown along with the dictatorship of Somoza. That same year, the National Government of Reconstruction made a national order requiring a new civil policing force. On August 22, 1979, the Nicaraguan government also dismantled the nation’s gendarmerie, its office of National Security and Intelligence Services.

The Police force was fully recognized on September 5, 1979 under the Sandinista title, hence its name Sandinista Police. One year later, in 1980, the Nicaraguan legislature passed a law that created a police force that had specific jurisdictional functions.

The first members of the Police Force were trained by Panamanian professionals, who established a small basic military academy, which is known as the Walter Mendoza Martinez Police Academy today.

From the period of 1982 to 1988, the police force was required to transform its civil duties to that of a gendarmerie once more. Its shift of direction was forced due to the armed conflict that was taking place because of US-backed rebels in nicaraguan soil.

After its armed conflicts, the national police began to see a decline in its gendarmerie roles in the country and began to see more civil based operations as its main focus. The police uniform changed, and it officially became an internationally recognized police force. Between 1989 and 1992 saw a transition towards peace, change the uniform and assume the behalf of National Police.

Women in the Nicaragua National Police

With a one time high of nearly 35%, the Nicaragua National Police has one of the highest men to women ratios in the world. After sinking to a 17% low in the 1990's, the percent has climbed to the internationally competitive 30%. Despite this being a tough job for women, the women themselves and government find it very important due to protecting women and women's rights.^[1]

Nicaragua National Police Gallery

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  Nicaragua Police cadets marching in Managua, Nicaragua.

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  Traffic and Transit Police Officers marching at the 30th anniversary parade of the creation of the National Police.

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  A National Security Officer Cadet in Masaya, note the burgundy cap and the slightly altered logo.

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  National Highway Troopers await deployment in Tipitapa, near the outskirts of Managua.

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  Riot police officers, known as antimotines, assemble in formation on a street in Managua.

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  SWAT Police (known as Operaciones Especiales or OE), stand guard at the Revoulution Plaza in Managua.

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  Nicaragua Police officers marching at the 30th anniversary parade of the National Police.

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  National Police officers with riot shields in Granada, Nicaragua. Note the darker uniforms. Police departments, based on region, usually have alternating sky and navy blue uniforms.

References

1. ^ http://www.inwent.org/ez/articles/192946/index.en.shtml