Police of Armenia

The Police of the Republic of Armenia is the national police of Armenia.

History

Soviet era

The first police service of Armenia was formed in 1918, under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the First Republic of Armenia. On April 21, 1920, a Militia was formed in Yerevan based on the Soviet model. It was later renamed to the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs of the Armenian SSR or the NKVD of the Armenian SSR, which was the Armenian subordinate to the NKVD headquarters in Moscow. In 1929, the NKVD of the Armenian SSR was dissolved and was reestablished in July 1934 as a reorganized political department. During World War II, the present-day building of the Armenian Police was built. The Armenian Regiment of Interior Forces of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs was established in 1963, and the Headquarters of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Armenian SSR was founded in 1965.

Modern Armenia

On June 21, 1992, by order of President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia was formed from the former Soviet Internal Troops. The ministry was active until December 2002, when the ministry, along with the Ministry of National Security, was reorganised into a non-ministerial institution, with the Ministry of Internal Affairs becoming the Police of Armenia. The Armenian Ministry of Justice recommended the re-establishment of the ministry headed by a cabinet member in a three-year strategy of police reforms proposed to the government in 2019. As part of a major structural reform of the national police service, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian announced plans to recreate the Interior Ministry. A patrol service became active in June 2021.
On 16 September 2021, the Armenian Government signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Europol.
On 25 January 2024, a more complex cooperation agreement with Europol was ratified by the Armenian government. The agreement will facilitate the deployment of a liaison officer from Armenia's Ministry of Internal Affairs to Europol, enhancing operational collaboration and information exchange between Armenia and Europol. On 2 February 2024, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Police Chief Major General Aram Hovhannisyan held meetings with Europol Executive Director Catherine De Bolle and CEPOL Executive Director Montserrat Marín López. The sides discussed the implementation of the provisions of the agreement signed between the Armenian police and Europol, as well as joining the SIENA system, among other issues of mutual interest.

Leadership

The activities of the police are directed by the chief of the police, who is appointed by the president of Armenia at the nomination of the prime minister of Armenia. The chief has one first deputy and several deputies, appointed by the president upon nomination by the chief.
The commander of the police troops is appointed by the president and serves as ex officio deputy chief of the police. Each of the deputy chiefs is assigned a sphere of responsibility by the chief of police, who is also assisted by a group of Advisers.

List of leaders (since 2003)

Hayk Haroutyunyan
Alik Sargsyan
Vladimir Gasparyan
Valeri Osipyan
Arman Sargsyan
Vahe Ghazaryan

Central Body and Regional Divisions

The Police are organised into the Central Body, and 11 geographic divisions. There is one police department for the city of Yerevan, and one for each of the 10 Provinces. The Departments of the Central Body are:

Headquarters
Combating Organized Crime Main Department
Criminal Investigations Main Department
Investigative Main Department
Public Order Department
Personnel Department
Information Centre
Public Relations and Press Department
Finances and Economic Affairs Department
Administration
Department of Road Inspection
Passports and Visas Department
State Protection Department
Criminal Forensics and Legal Affairs Department
National Central Bureau of Interpol

National Central Bureau

The NCB is divided into three divisions:

Division for international search and general crime – responsible for conducting criminal investigations of an operational nature, preparing international notice requests and sending them to the General Secretariat for publication, providing liaison and co-ordination activities, maintaining criminal records, implementing criminal investigations concerning the search for wanted persons. The division comprises 6 police officers including a head of division.
Division for the analysis and processing of criminal intelligence – division deals with the following areas: legal matters, analysis and processing of criminal intelligence on drug trafficking, fraud, organized crime, terrorism, corruption, counterfeiting, crimes against human beings, international relations support, general reference sources, methodological data, etc. It comprises 6 police officers including a head of division.
Division for telecommunications and technical support – division deals with matters relating to information technology systems, providing telecommunications services and technical support for the NCB. It consists of 7 police officers including a head of division.

Public Relations and Press Department

The Committee of Public Relations was founded on 21 March 1994.
The department also maintains a 42-member Police Band based in Yerevan which is currently led by Baghdasar Grigoryan. The band was created on 1 August 1972. It performs similar functions to the Band of the [General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia|Band of the Armenian Army General Staff], taking part in the most important events of the police and the state. In 2019, it performed at the graduation party of Dubai Police Academy.

Special Operations Forces

The Special Operations Forces took part in the "Cobalt-2016" joint exercise of special forces units of the CSTO at the Marshal Baghramyan Training Ground of the Ministry of Defense.

Personnel

Oath

Persons serving in the Police, in front of the state flag of Armenia, in accordance with the procedure established by the Government of Armenia, take an oath with the following content:

Uniforms

Decrees passed in October 2002 and April 2003 set the rules for police officers' uniforms.

Police Workers Day

Celebrated on 16 April, Police Workers Day in Armenia commemorates personnel of the Police Central Body and the Police Troops. It was first celebrated in 2002 and was introduced year earlier by the National Assembly of Armenia. Traditionally, the President of Armenia and/or the Prime Minister of Armenia receives the salute at a ceremony in the Yerevan police headquarters.

Ranks

Police ranks are classified into the following groups:

Higher ranks
* Colonel General of Police
* Lieutenant General of Police
* Major General of Police
Chief ranks
* Police Colonel
Senior ranks
* Police Lieutenant Colonel
Subaltern ranks
* Police Major
* Police Captain
* Senior Police Lieutenant
* Police Lieutenant
Junior ranks
* Senior Police NCO
* Police NCO
* Police Starshina
* Senior Police Sergeant
* Police Sergeant
* Junior Police Sergeant

Education

The Police Academy of Armenia, is the successor to the Secondary School of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which was founded in 1984. During the Soviet era, the Yerevan Higher School of the Ministry of Internal Affairs operated in the country.

Equipment

Police personnel are armed primarily with Soviet-made firearms and ammunition, including Makarov PM and Tokarev TT-33 handguns, and AKS, AKM, and AK-74 automatic rifles.