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 Vlaho Orepić, Minister of Internal Affairs
Agency executive Vlado Dominić, General Police Director
Police Administrations 20
Facilities
Airbases Lučko (LDZL)
Helicopter - special forces, utility, SARs 1 x Agusta-Bell 212 Twin Huey
Helicopter - border patrols 2 x AgustaWestland AW139
Helicopter - border patrol, traffic control, air ambulances 2 x Eurocopter EC135 P2+
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]

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]

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]

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 School		Probationer
with College		Police OfficerSenior Police OfficerPolice SergeantSenior Police SergeantPolice Inspector Senior Police Inspector Independent Police InspectorChief Police InspectorPolice AdviserChief Police AdviserDeputy Police DirectorPolice Director
Policajac vježbenik
SSS		Policajac vježbenik
VŠS/VSS		PolicajacViši policajacPolicijski narednikViši policijski narednikPolicijski inspektorViši policijski inspektorSamostalni policijski inspektorGlavni policijski inspektorPolicijski savjetnikGlavni policijski savjetnikZamjenik ravnatelja policijeRavnatelj policije

Intervention Police (Interventna policija)

Intervention Police members
Police officer in intervention groupLeader of intervention groupCommander of section in intervention Police Commander of platoon in Intervention Police - InstructorAssistant Commander of troop in Intervention PoliceCommander of troop in Intervention PoliceDeputy/Assistant Commander of Intervention Police unitCommander of Intervention Police unitInstructor in headquarters of Intervention Police Assistant Commander of Intervention PoliceCommander of Intervention Police
Policajac u interventnoj policijiVođa grupe u interventnoj policijiZapovjednik odjeljenjaZapovjednik voda – instruktorPomoćnik zapovjednika satnije interventne policijeZapovjednik satnije interventne policijeZamjenik zapovjednika – pomoćnik zapovjednikaZapovjednik jedinice interventne policijePolicijski službenik – instruktorPomoćnik zapovjednika interventne policijeZapovjednik interventne policije

Special Police (Specijalna policija)

Special Police members
Police Officer - specialistLeader of specialized groupInstructor - Commander of platoon in Special Police Assistant Commander of Intervention Police unitCommander of Special Police unitInstructor in headquarters of Special PoliceAssistant Commander of Special Police Commander of Special Police
Policajac - specijalacVođa specijalističke grupeInstruktor – zapovjednik voda u specijalnoj jedinici policijePomoćnik zapovjednika specijalne jedinice policijeZapovjednik specijalne jedinice policijeInstruktor u zapovjedništvu specijalne policijePomoćnik zapovjednika specijalne policijeZapovjednik specijalne policije

Weapons

A

Equipment

Since 2013, there were special efforts by the Ministry of the Interior to equip the Croatian police with new vehicles and uniforms. Police cars consist mainly of Opel Astra 4-doors and, more prominently, Skoda Octavias.

Helicopters

Aircraft Quantity Introduced Notes
Agusta-Bell 212 1 9A-HBM
Bell 206B 3 9A-HDB, 9A-HBZ, 9A-HBC
AgustaWestland AW139 2 January 2016 9A-HRP, second delivered on 28. June 2016.[8]
Eurocopter EC135 P2+ 2 2013 9A-HBA, 9A-HBB, [8]
Robinson R22 Beta 1 9A-HAG,

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 Police
  2. 1 2 Republic of Croatia, Interpol
  3. ↑ OSCE Mission to Croatia retrieved from here on May 19, 2007
  4. 1 2 Police, Croatia retrieved from here on May 19, 2007
  5. ↑ Organizational scheme of General Police Directorate
  6. ↑ Ministarstvo unutarnjih poslova
  7. ↑ http://www.aalan.hr/Product-Catalogue/tabid/3622/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/11522/categoryId/274/Submachine-Gun-Type-Ero-cal-9x19mm.aspx
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. March 2016. p. 10.
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