Police of the Czech Republic

Police of the Czech Republic (Czech: Policie České republiky) is the national law enforcement agency of the Czech Republic. It was established on 15 July 1991 under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior. The agency is tasked with protecting citizens, property and public order and as of 2015, there were around 40,500 employees.[2] Czech state police cooperates with municipal police departments, which are present in local municipalities.

Czech police car in Prague in 2016.

Police of the Czech Republic
Policie České republiky
AbbreviationPČR
MottoPomáhat a chránit  (Czech)
"To Help and to Protect"
Agency overview
Formed1991
Preceding agency
Employees40,152[1]
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionCzech Republic
Map of Police of the Czech Republic's jurisdiction.
Governing bodyMinistry of the Interior (Czech Republic)
General nature
Operational structure
HeadquartersPresidium of Police, Prague
Agency executive
  • Jan Švejdar, President
Website
http://www.policie.cz/

History

The Police of the Czech Republic took over land management after the communist SNB in the Czech Republic with the exception of military police (provosts) who are part of the army. Members were recruited from the former communist SNB (National Security Corps), after passing a vetting "democratic" commission established after the Velvet Revolution in 1989 to eliminate from the police force communist ideologues and agents of the secret police. A similar procedure was also undertaken in the then-Slovak Republic. Some police officers were employed by a small federal police force, whose mandate expired on 31 December 1992.

Jurisdiction
See also: Law enforcement in the Czech Republic
Mounted police

The Police of the Czech Republic has general jurisdiction in the investigation of misdemeanors and crimes. Its proceedings are overseen by an independent prosecutor, who can bring charges in criminal matters. It does not have jurisdiction in fields falling within the competence of other specialized bodies, such as the Customs service, military police, judicial guard or the Secret service. PČR is the main investigative body of the Ministry of the Interior. It should not be confused with the municipal police, which may be established by a municipality and which supervises public order and road safety; municipal police also have jurisdiction only over misdemeanours, and in criminal investigations may serve only in a supportive role for the state police.

The Police of the Czech Republic is responsible for search and rescue operations and on this behalf cooperates with Mountain Rescue Service of the Czech Republic that is highly professional rescue agency.

Some crimes (such as terrorism) are being solved in co-operation with intelligence agencies such as BIS or ÚZSI.

Nationwide jurisdiction
  • Prague Institute of Criminology
  • Aviation Service
  • National Central for Organized Crime (of the Service of Criminal Police and Investigation) - created in August 2016 by joining two nationwide operating units:
    • Unit for Organized Crime (of the Service of Criminal Police and Investigation)
    • Unit for Corruption and Financial Criminality (of the Service of Criminal Police and Investigation)
  • National Anti-Drug Central (of the Service of Criminal Police and Investigation)
  • Pyrotechnical Service
  • Service of Alien and Border Police
  • Unit for Documentation and Investigation of Communist Crimes (of the Service of Criminal Police and Investigation)
  • Unit for Protection of the President of the Czech Republic
  • Unit for Protection of State Officials
  • Unit for Special Activities (of the Service of Criminal Police and Investigation)
  • Unit for Particular Activities (of the Service of Criminal Police and Investigation)
  • Rapid Response Unit

Regional jurisdiction

There are 14 regional headquarters, with jurisdictions covering the regions of the Czech Republic.

Police officers serving under regional HQs are usually organized in the following sections:[3]

  • Public Order Police Service (Služba pořádkové policie) - most versatile, police officers on general patrolling duty serving at local and district police stations, most usually first responders. Squad cars usually manned by two officers, apart from pistols usually with at least one select-fire rifle stored in safe of car's trunk.
  • Public Order Units - perform specific tasks in the area of protecting people and property, special equipment and training, most often dispatched in large numbers (riot gear for crowd control, assault rifles for active shooter engagement, etc.). Squad minivans usually with seven heavily armed policemen.
  • Intervention Units - regional SWAT teams (8 teams covering 14 regions). Apart from cars equipped also with transport helicopters.
  • Rapid Response Units - these units reinforce the public order units on patrolling duty in selected areas of the country. Squad cars usually with three heavily armed policemen.
  • Waterway Units
  • Railway Units - in train stations of major railway hubs, also operate in trains (catching thieves, looters)
  • Police Divers
  • Cynology Service - training of dogs and dog handlers, about 800 dogs are in active service with the Czech Police (K9 officers themselves are part of the above-mentioned units)
  • Hippology Service - training of horses and mounted policemen mainly for patrolling in natural reserve areas and for riot duty (mounted policemen themselves are part of the above-mentioned units)
  • Weapons and Security Material Service - deals with civilian firearms ownership and issuing of gun licenses, business with military equipment, explosives, gun ranges etc.
  • Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service - apart from disposing of explosive materials also provides expert opinions in the field of forensic pyrotechnics
  • Service of Criminal Police and Investigation - usually divided into:
    • White Collar Crime Division (Operative Search, Investigation)
    • Division of Analytics (analytics for other two divisions, cybercrime)
    • General Crime Division (Operative Search, Investigation) - usually divided into sections (according of size of department):
  1. Section - Homicides, violent crimes, suicides
  2. Section - Roberries, extortions/blackmail
  3. Section - Sexual and/or Youth related crime, rape, prostitution
  4. Section - Vehicle thefts
  5. Section - Thefts, property related crime
  6. Section - Search for people and things
  7. Section - Permanent crime scene response unit
  8. Section - Drug related crime
  9. Section - Extremism, racially motivated crime, hoolingans
  • Forensic Laboratories and Expertise Service

Special units
Main article: Útvar rychlého nasazení

Equipment
Police Škoda Octavia car
Police Yamaha motorbike

As of 2011, the Police of the Czech Republic employs about 41,000 officers, with a ratio of about 45 officers per 10,000 population.[4] Of these, about 3,500 are traffic-police officers.[5]

Transport

Cars and motorcycles

Helicopters
Eurocopter EC135
Aircraft[6] Origin Role Versions Registration Number
Bell 412  United States VIP transport, transport of material, rescue operations, policing Bell 412 HP OK-BYN
OK-BYQ		 2
Bell 412  United States Policing Bell 412 EP OK-BYP
OK-BYR
OK-BYS		 3
Bell 412  United States Policing Bell 412 EPI[7] OK-BYT 1
Eurocopter EC135  European Union Policing, air rescue service EC 135 T2, EC 135 T2+ OK-BYA
OK-BYB
OK-BYC
OK-BYD[8]
OK-BYE
OK-BYF
OK-BYG
OK-BYH		 8
Armoured police vehicle in Prague Airport

Watercraft

2 motorboats Marine 15Y on the Elbe river in Ústí nad Labem Region, since 2006.[9] Since 2016, a new cabin boat was delivered.[10][11]

At Slapy Reservoir in the Vltava river, the 15 years old police boat was replace in 2015 with 2 new boats. In 2015, 16 new police boats (6× cabin boats Tinnsilver 870-Cabin and 10× low-draft boats Alunautic LC 7,50) were delivered, 5 of them to Central Bohemian Region (3 cabin boats and 2 low-draft boats). Other of the police boats were delivered to Orlík Reservoir on the Vltava, to Elbe in Nymburk, and other to South Bohemian Region, Hradec Králové Region and Pardubice Region.[12][13] River departments of police are in Slapy Reservoir and Prague on the Vltava and in Ústí nad Labem and Nymburk on the Elbe, other boats are used by local police departments on Lipno Reservoir, Orlík Reservoir, Nové Mlýny Reservoir and others.[13]

The Prague river department of the police had in 2004 two cabin boats MB 075 produced in GDR, and planned to replace their Russian ZiL engines with Volvo Penta engines. Other watercraft was 5-meter ship Mayer with a Volvo Penta engine, 6-meter SeeStar Patrol boat with Volvo Penta engine, 4-meter Ryds 500 GTS boat, two rubber boats: 5-meter Bombard with Mercury 25 engine and 4-meter Quick Silver with Johnson 10 engine.[14] In Prague, also the Municipal Police has their watercraft.

Firearms

The following firearms are used by the Police of the Czech Republic:

Handguns

Shotguns

Submachine guns

Carbines

Sniper rifles

Grenade launchers

Other

See also

References
  1. "Počet příslušníků Policie České republiky - Policie České republiky". www.policie.cz. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  2. "Chovanec chce na policejní nábor přes deset miliard, Babiš není proti". ČT24 (in Czech). ČT24. 14 May 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  3. "Policie České republiky". www.policie.cz. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  4. "John: Počet policistů by měl nadále klesat". České noviny. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  5. "Ekonomická efektivnost - dopravní přestupky". policie.cz. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  6. "Letecká služba Policie ČR". vrtulnik.cz. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  7. "Bell Helicopter sells first Bell 412EPI in Europe to Czech Police". Textron. 18 June 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  8. Helicopter crashed on 5 March 2011, see planes.cz spotters Archived 7 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  9. Poříční oddíl Policie České republiky získal od Ústeckého kraje záchranné čluny, Ústecký kraj, 27 November 2006
  10. Policisté na Labi mají více práce. Přibylo rekreačních plaveb, Ústecký deník, 11. June 2016
  11. Nový kajutový člun na poříčním oddělení, Policie České republiky – KŘP Ústeckého kraje
  12. Ladislav Jerie: Výměna policejních člunů na Slapech za nové už byla nutná, Deník.cz, 9 December 2015
  13. Policie získala pro poříční oddělení 16 nových člunů za 73 mil.Kč, 4 Dezember 2015
  14. Poříční oddělení PČR hl. města Prahy na výstavě Lodě Praha, 23. 11. 2004
  15. http://www.streleckarevue.cz/archiv-detail.aspx/2014/upload/vyslo7_2014/46_sluzebni_zbrane.pdf
  16. "Elitní odstřelovači pálí už na dvojku - Novinky.cz". www.novinky.cz. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
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