Law enforcement in Croatia
Encyclopedia
Law enforcement in Croatia
is the responsibility of the Police , 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.
The Police deals with the following affairs: protection of individual life, rights, security and integrity, protection of property
, prevention and detection of criminal offences
, misdemeanor
s, 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.
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.
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.
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.
.
The General Police Directorate is responsible for:
General Police Directorate is headed by General Police Director .
There are the following organization forms within General Police Directorate:
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).
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
is the responsibility of the Police , which is a public service of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia
Ministry of the Interior (Croatia)
The Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia is the ministry in the Government of Croatia which is in charge of state security among other roles...
, carrying out certain tasks, the so called, police activities, laid down by law.
The Police deals with the following affairs: protection of individual life, rights, security and integrity, protection of property
Property
Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
, prevention and detection of criminal offences
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
, misdemeanor
Misdemeanor
A misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act in many common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions and regulatory offences...
s, violations, search for perpetrators of criminal offences, misdemeanors, violations and their bringing before competent authorities, control and management of road traffic
Traffic
Traffic on roads may consist of pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using the public way for purposes of travel...
, conducting affairs with aliens, control and security of state border
Border
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
, and other affairs defined by law.
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
Nationality
Nationality is membership of a nation or sovereign state, usually determined by their citizenship, but sometimes by ethnicity or place of residence, or based on their sense of national identity....
-related affairs, status questions and asylum
Right of asylum
Right of asylum is an ancient juridical notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or church sanctuaries...
, affairs of protection and rescue, inspection affairs and technical affairs.
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
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, human rights, freedom of the press and fair elections...
since its mission began there on 18 April 1996, with Croatia being admitted to OSCE on March 24, 1992.
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. 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.
Organization
The General Police Directorate is an administrative organization of the Ministry of the Interior constituted for conducting police affairsPolice
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
.
The General Police Directorate is responsible for:
- 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 .
There are the following organization forms within General Police Directorate:
- 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 of Croatia
The primary territorial subdivisions of the Republic of Croatia called županije . In English they are commonly referred to as counties....
(counties or županije).
Regular Police (Temeljna policija)
| Probationer with Secondary School |
Probationer with College |
Police 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 SSS |
Policajac vježbenik VŠS/VSS |
Policajac | 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)
| 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)
| Police 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
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- MP5
- UZI Uses Copy of the Mini-Uzi variant manufactured as Mini ERO
- M4A1 SOPMODSOPMODThe Special Operations Peculiar MODification kit is an accessory system for the M4A1 carbine and FN SCAR Mk 16/17 used by USSOCOM...
- HS 2000
- H&K UMP