Law enforcement by country
In many countries, particularly those with a federal system of government, there may be several law enforcement agencies, police or police-like organizations, each serving different levels of government and enforcing different subsets of the applicable law.
List by country
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
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 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 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 carry out most routine police work, except in the capital city of Buenos Aires, 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
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 nationwide.Austria
The policing work is carried out basically by federal agencies. The Federal Police ' is the uniformed force, the investigative work is done by the regional divisions of the Federal Criminal Police Office ', the Landeskriminalamt. Besides the federal agencies, some cities have a Municipal Police 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 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 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
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 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 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, 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 Comitee also serves as a political police force.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, 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, 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 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
- Judicial Police
- Air Police
- Border and Aliens Police
Cambodia