The Police of the Czech Republic (Policie České Republiky) is a law enforcement agency

Law enforcement agency

In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...

 of the Czech Republic

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

, officially established as a police force on 15 July 1991 in the former Czech and Slovak Federal Republic

Czech and Slovak Federal Republic

Czech and Slovak Federal Republic was the official name of Czechoslovakia from April 1990 until 31 December 1992, when the country was dissolved into the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.- Adoption of the name :Since 1960, Czechoslovakia's official name had been Czechoslovak Socialist Republic...

. PČR's headquarters is located in Prague

Prague

Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...

.

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 (the Czech Republic's KGB equivalent). 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. The police are in public-service work; their status in the Czech Republic armed security forces is that of a gendarmerie.

Jurisdiction

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

Municipal police

.Municipal police are law enforcement agencies that are under the control of local government, including the municipal government, where it is the smallest administrative subdivision. They receive pay from the city budget, and usually have fewer rights than the "state paid" police...

, which may be established by a municipality and which supervises public order and road safety; municipal police

Municipal police

.Municipal police are law enforcement agencies that are under the control of local government, including the municipal government, where it is the smallest administrative subdivision. They receive pay from the city budget, and usually have fewer rights than the "state paid" police...

 also have jurisdiction only over misdemeanours, and in criminal investigations may serve only in a supportive role for the state police.

Some crimes (such as terrorism

Terrorism

Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...

) are being solved in co-operation with intelligence agencies

Intelligence agency

An intelligence agency is a governmental agency that is devoted to information gathering for purposes of national security and defence. Means of information gathering may include espionage, communication interception, cryptanalysis, cooperation with other institutions, and evaluation of public...

 such as BIS or ÚZSI.

Nationwide jurisdiction

• Prague Institute of Criminology
• Air Service
• National Anti-Drug Central
• Pyrotechnical Service
• Alien Police
• Agency for Documentation and Investigation of Communist Crimes
• Agency for Corruption and Financial Criminality
• Agency for Organized Crime
• Agency for Protection of the President of the Czech Republic
• Agency for Protection of State Officials
• Agency for Special Activities of Criminal Police
• Agency for Particular Activities of Criminal Police
• Rapid Response Unit

Regional jurisdiction

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

Regions of the Czech Republic

According to Czech Law no. 129/2000 , which replaced paragraph 1/1993 of the Czech Constitution on Vyšší územně správních celcích , the Czech Republic has consisted of thirteen regions and one capital city with regional status since 1 January 2000...

.

Equipment

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. Of these, about 3,500 are traffic-police officers.

Cars and motorcycles

• Škoda Fabia
  Škoda Fabia
  The Škoda Fabia is a supermini produced by Czech manufacturer Škoda Auto since 1999. It was the successor to the Škoda Felicia, which was discontinued in 2001...
  
   Combi (phased out)
• Škoda Octavia
  Škoda Octavia
  The Škoda Octavia is a small family car produced by Czech automaker Škoda Auto since 1996, its name revived from a model originally produced between 1959 and 1971. The current Octavia is available in five-door liftback and station wagon....
  
   1.6 (75 kW) and 1.8 (118 kW)
• Škoda Octavia
  Škoda Octavia
  The Škoda Octavia is a small family car produced by Czech automaker Škoda Auto since 1996, its name revived from a model originally produced between 1959 and 1971. The current Octavia is available in five-door liftback and station wagon....
  
   RS 2.0 (147 kW)
• Ford Mondeo
  Ford Mondeo
  The Mondeo was launched on 8 January 1993, and sales began on 22 March 1993. Available as a four-door saloon, a five-door hatchback, and a five-door estate, all models for the European market were produced at Ford's plant in the Belgian city of Genk...
  
   ST220 3.0 (166 kW)
• Volkswagen Passat
  Volkswagen Passat
  The Volkswagen Passat is a large family car marketed by Volkswagen Passenger Cars through six design generations since 1973. Between the Volkswagen Golf / Volkswagen Jetta and the Volkswagen Phaeton in the current Volkswagen line-up, the Passat and its derivatives have been badged variously as...
  
   VR6 3.6 (221 kW)
• VW Transporter 3.2 (173 kW) fitted as mobile offices
• Yamaha motorcycles (600 and 1300 ccm)

Helicopters

! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Role
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Registration
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Number
|----
| Bell 412

Bell 412

The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212 model, the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor.-Design and development:...

|
| VIP transport, transport of material, rescue operations, air rescue service
| Bell 412 HP
| OK-BYN
OK-BYO
OK-BYQ
| 3
|----
| Bell 412

Bell 412

The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212 model, the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor.-Design and development:...

|
| Policing
| Bell 412 EP
| OK-BYP
OK-BYR
OK-BYS
| 3
|----
| Eurocopter EC135

Eurocopter EC135

The Eurocopter EC135 is a twin-engine civil helicopter produced by Eurocopter, widely used amongst police and ambulance services and for executive transport. It is capable of flight under instrument flight rules .-Development:...

|
| Policing, air rescue service
| EC 135 T2
| OK-BYA
OK-BYB
OK-BYC
OK-BYD
OK-BYE
OK-BYF
OK-BYG
OK-BYH
| 8
|----

Handguns

• CZ-75
  • CZ SP-01
  • CZ 75D PCR Compact
  • CZ P-01
  • CZ 2075 RAMI
    CZ 2075 RAMI
    The CZ 2075 RAMI is a semi-automatic pistol made by Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod in the Czech Republic. It features a staggered-column magazine, all-steel construction or optional Polyframe, and a hammer-forged floating barrel...
    
    
  • CZ P-07 Duty
  • CZ 97B
    CZ 97B
    The CZ 97B is a semi-automatic handgun introduced in 1997 in caliber .45 ACP. The CZ 97B is the big bore brother to the CZ 75B. Features include a screw-in barrel bushing and loaded chamber indicator. It retains all the functionality, ergonomics and accuracy of its smaller sibling. The CZ 97B...
    
    

Submachine guns

• CZ SCORPION EVO 3 A1
• Vz skorpion

Carbines

• Sa vz. 58
• CZ-805 BREN
  CZ-805 BREN
  The CZ-805 BREN is a Czech assault rifle created in 2009 to replace the Sa vz. 58 in the Armed Forces of Czech Republic, the CZ-805 layout is heavily based in the FN SCAR.-Description:...
  
  (both Bren A1 and A2 variants)