- Law enforcement in Croatia
-
Police
Policija
Emblem of Policija Agency overview Formed 1990 Preceding agency Milicija (SFRY) Legal personality Governmental: Government agency Jurisdictional structure National agency HR Governing body Ministry of the Interior (Croatia) General nature Operational structure Headquarters Zagreb, Ulica grada Vukovara 33 Minister responsible Tomislav Karamarko, Minister of Internal Affairs Agency executive Oliver Grbić, Director Police Administrations 20 Facilities Airbases Lučko (LDZL) Helicopter - Special forces, utility, SARs Agusta-Bell 212 Twin Huey Helicopter - training, personnel transport, liaisons Bell 206B-2 JetRager II Helicopter - surveillance, traffic control, training, personnel transport, liaisons Bell 206B-3 JetRager III Website www.policija.hr Law enforcement in Croatia is the responsibility of the Police (Croatian: Policija), which is a public service of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia, carrying out certain tasks, the so called, police activities, laid down by law.[1]
The Police deals with the following affairs: protection of individual life, rights, security and integrity, protection of property, prevention and detection of criminal offences, misdemeanors, violations, search for perpetrators of criminal offences, misdemeanors, violations and their bringing before competent authorities, control and management of road traffic, conducting affairs with aliens, control and security of state border, and other affairs defined by law.[2]
In the operative sense, police affairs are divided into affairs related to public peace and order, affairs related to security of public gatherings, affairs of the border police, affairs of safety of road traffic, affairs of counter-explosive protection, affairs of the criminal police, crime-technical affairs, crime-files affairs, administrative affairs, nationality-related affairs, status questions and asylum, affairs of protection and rescue, inspection affairs and technical affairs.[2]
In recent years, the force has been undergoing a reform with assistance from international agencies, including the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe since its mission began there on 18 April 1996, with Croatia being admitted to OSCE on March 24, 1992.[3]
Contents
Police powers
Police officers' powers in order to maintain peace in Croatia, such as the power to stop and search, seize property and use force, are regulated.[4] A police officer in Croatia may only stop and search a person if a court has issued a warrant and it is possible that this person has broken the law or is in possession of items or tools which are considered unlawful.
A police officer is only allowed to use firearms if there is an immediate threat to his own life or the lives of other people, to prevent a crime from being committed for which the minimum prison sentence is five years or more, or to prevent the escape of a prisoner caught committing an offence for which the prison sentence is a maximum of ten years.[4]
Organization
The General Police Directorate (Croatian: Ravnateljstvo policije) is an administrative organization of the Ministry of the Interior constituted for conducting police affairs. The General Police Directorate is responsible for:[1]
- screening and analysis of the state of security and developments leading to the emergence and development of crime;
- harmonization, guidance and supervision over the work of Police Directorates and Police Administrations;
- immediate participation in particular more complex operations of Police Directorates and Police Administrations;
- providing for the implementation of the international agreements on police cooperation and other international acts under the competence of the General Police Directorate;
- organizing and conducting of criminal forensics operations;
- setting the prerequisites for the efficient work of the Police Academy;
- adopting of standards for the equipment and technical means;
- setting the prerequisites for the police readiness to act in the state of emergency.
General Police Directorate is headed by General Police Director (Croatian: glavni ravnatelj policije).
There are the following organization forms within General Police Directorate:[5][6]
- Police Directorate (Uprava policije)
- Criminal Police Directorate (Uprava kriminalističke policije)
- Border Police Directorate (Uprava za granicu)
- Command of Special Police (Zapovjedništvo specijalne policije)
- Operational Communication Centre (Operativno–komunikacijski centar policije)
- Forensic Centre (Centar za kriminalistička vještačenja)
- Police Academy (Policijska akademija)
For immediate conducting of police affairs there are 20 Police Administrations (policijske uprave) divided into four categories, which cover the territory of the Republic of Croatia according to the organization of units of local self-government (counties or županije).
Ranks
Regular Police (Temeljna policija)
Probationer with
Secondary SchoolProbationer
with CollegePolice Officer Upper Police Officer Police Sergeant Upper Police Sergeant Police Inspector Upper Police Inspector Independent Police Inspector Major Police Inspector Police Adviser Major Police Adviser Deputy Police Director Police Director Policajac vježbenik
SSSPolicajac vježbenik
VŠS/VSSPolicajac Viši policajac Policijski narednik Viši policijski narednik Policijski inspektor Viši policijski inspektor Samostalni policijski inspektor Glavni policijski inspektor Policijski savjetnik Glavni policijski savjetnik Zamjenik ravnatelja policije Ravnatelj policije 
Intervention Police (Interventna policija)
Intervention Police members
Police officer in intervention group Leader of intervention group Commander of section in intervention Police Commander of platoon in Intervention Police - Instructor Assistent Commander of troop in Intervention Police Commander of troop in Intervention Police Deputy/Assistent Commander of Intervention Police unit Commander of Intervention Police unit Instructor in headquarters of Intervention Police Assistent Commander of Intervention Police Commander of Intervention Police Policajac u interventnoj policiji Vođa grupe u interventnoj policiji Zapovjednik odjeljenja Zapovjednik voda – instruktor Pomoćnik zapovjednika satnije interventne policije Zapovjednik satnije interventne policije Zamjenik zapovjednika – pomoćnik zapovjednika Zapovjednik jedinice interventne policije Policijski službenik – instruktor Pomoćnik zapovjednika interventne policije Zapovjednik interventne policije 
Special Police or SWAT (Specijalna policija)
Special Police membersPolice Officer - specialist Leader of specialized group Instructor - Commander of platoon in Special Police Assistent Commander of Intervention Police unit Commander of Special Police unit Instructor in headquarters of Special Police Assistent Commander of Special Police Commander of Special Police Policajac - specijalac Vođa specijalističke grupe Instruktor – zapovjednik voda u specijalnoj jedinici policije Pomoćnik zapovjednika specijalne jedinice policije Zapovjednik specijalne jedinice policije Instruktor u zapovjedništvu specijalne policije Pomoćnik zapovjednika specijalne policije Zapovjednik specijalne policije 
Weapons
Equipment
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Croatian Police car
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A motor officer patrolling in Zagreb on a motorcycle
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Water cannon model CVT-6000
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Police van
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Police boat
Helicopters
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1x Agusta-Bell 212
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1x Bell 206B JetRanger II
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2x Bell 206B-3 JetRanger III
See also
Notes
- ^ a b Police
- ^ a b Republic of Croatia, Interpol
- ^ OSCE Mission to Croatia retrieved from here on May 19, 2007
- ^ a b Police, Croatia retrieved from here on May 19, 2007
- ^ Organizational scheme of General Police Directorate
- ^ Ministarstvo unutarnjih poslova
- ^ http://www.aalan.hr/Product-Catalogue/tabid/3622/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/11522/categoryId/274/Submachine-Gun-Type-Ero-cal-9x19mm.aspx
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