Police of the Republic of Armenia

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The Police of the Republic of Armenia (Armenian: Հայաստանի Հանրապետության ոստիկանություն) is the national police of Armenia. [1] [2] The head is Valeri Osipyan, in office since 10 May 2018. [3]

Police Law enforcement body

The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state to enforce the law, to protect the lives, liberty and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their powers include the power of arrest and the legitimized use of force. The term is most commonly associated with the police forces of a sovereign state that are authorized to exercise the police power of that state within a defined legal or territorial area of responsibility. Police forces are often defined as being separate from the military and other organizations involved in the defense of the state against foreign aggressors; however, gendarmerie are military units charged with civil policing. Police forces are usually public sector services, funded through taxes.

Armenia Republic in South Caucasus in West Asia

Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located in Western Asia on the Armenian Highlands, it is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, the de facto independent Republic of Artsakh and Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran and Azerbaijan's exclave of Nakhchivan to the south.

Contents

History

The first police service of Armenia was formed in 1918, shoetly before the Russian invasion 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 the war period, 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. The Police Academy of Armenia, which was then the Secondary School of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was founded in 1984. On June 21, 1992 by order of President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia were formed from the former Soviet Interior Troops. [4] The ministry was active until December 2002, when the ministry, along with the Ministry of National Security, was reorganised as a non-ministerial institution, with the Ministry of Internal Affairs becoming the Police of the Republic of Armenia. [5]

Militia generally refers to an army or other fighting force that is composed of non-professional fighters

A militia is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a nation, or subjects of a state, who can be called upon for military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of regular, full-time military personnel, or historically, members of a warrior nobility class. Generally unable to hold ground against regular forces, it is common for militias to be used for aiding regular troops by skirmishing, holding fortifications, or irregular warfare, instead of being used in offensive campaigns by themselves. Militia are often limited by local civilian laws to serve only in their home region, and to serve only for a limited time; this further reduces their use in long military campaigns.

Yerevan City in Armenia

Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia as well as one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country. It has been the capital since 1918, the fourteenth in the history of Armenia and the seventh located in or around the Ararat plain. The city also serves as the seat of the Araratian Pontifical Diocese; the largest diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church and one of the oldest dioceses in the world.

The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs, abbreviated NKVD, was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union.

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. [1] The Chief has one First Deputy and several Deputies, [6] appointed by the President upon nomination by the Chief. [1]

President of Armenia

The President of Armenia is the head of state and the guarantor of independence and territorial integrity of Armenia elected to a single seven year term by the National Assembly of Armenia. Under Armenia's parliamentary system, the President is simply a figurehead and holds ceremonial duties, with most of the political power vested in the Parliament and Prime Minister.

Prime Minister of Armenia Head of Government of Armenia

The Prime Minister of Armenia is the head of government and most senior minister within the Armenian government, and is required by the constitution to "determine the main directions of policy of the Government, manage the activities of the Government and coordinate the work of the members of the Government." Also, according to the constitution, the Prime Minister heads the Security Council, which prescribes the main directions of the country's defense policy; thus, the Prime Minister is effectively the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Armenia.. Under the new 2015 constitution, the Prime Minister is the most powerful and influential person in Armenian politics. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President of Armenia upon the vote of the National Assembly. The Prime Minister can be removed by a vote of no confidence in Parliament. In the constitutional referendum held in 2015, citizens voted in favor of transferring Armenia into a parliamentary republic.

The Commander of the Police Troops is appointed by the President and serves as ex officio Deputy Chief of the Police. [1] 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. [1]

List of Leaders

Ministers of the Internal Affairs (1918-1920)

  • Aram Manoukyan (July 1918 – January 1919)
  • Aleksandr Khatisyan (February 1919-August 1919)
  • Abraham Gyulkhandanyan (August 1919 – May 1920)
  • Rouben Ter-Minasyan (May 1920 - September 1920)
  • Sargis Araratyan (September 1920-November 1920)
  • Simon Vratsyan (November 1920–December 1920)

Ministers of the Interior Affairs (1920-1940)

  • Isaac Dovlatyan (December 1921–April 1921)
  • Poghos Makintsyan (April 1921-July 1921)
  • Avis Nourijanyan (July 1921-August 1921)
  • Shavarsh Amirkhanyan (August 1921 - May 1924)
  • Hovhannes Dourgaryan (May 1924 - July 1927)
  • Sergey Melik-Hovsepyan (July 1927- December 1928)
  • Sedrak Margaryan (February 1929 – November, 1929)
  • Hayk Petrosyan (November 1929 – May 1930)
  • Sedrak Otyan (May 1930 – October 1930)
  • Armenak Aboulyan (December 1930- July, 1934)
  • Khachik Moughdousi (July 1934 – September, 1937)
  • Victor Khvorostov (November 1937 – March 1939)
  • Aleksey Korotkov (March 1939 – March 1941)

Ministers of Internal Affairs of the Armenian SSR (194p-1991)

  • Georgi Martirosov (March 1941- May 1943, March 1953 – April 1954)
  • Ivan Matevosov (May 1943 – August 1947)
  • Khoren Grigoryan (August 1947 – March 1953)
  • Pyotr Piskunov (April 1954 – August 1957)
  • Hayk Melkonyan (August 1957 - August 1961)
  • Sergey Arzoumanyan (August 1961 – December 1968)
  • Vladimir Darbinyan (December 1968 – September 1974)
  • Yevgeniy Patalov (December 1974 – November 1983)
  • Haykaz Shahinyan (November 1983 – June 1988)
  • Housik Haroutunyan (June 1988 – May 1990)
  • Levon Galstyan (June 1990 -1990 August)
  • Karlos Ghazaryan (August 1990 - March 1991)

Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia

  • Ashot Manoucharyan (March 1991 – December 1991)
  • Valeri Poghosyan (December 1991 – February 1992)
  • Vanik Siradeghyan (February 1992 – November 1996)
  • Serzh Sargsyan (November 1996 – June 1999)
  • Souren Abrahamyan (June 1999 - November 1999)
  • Hayk Haroutyunyan (November 1999 - January 2003)
Serzh Sargsyan 3rd President of Armenia

Serzh Sargsyan is an Armenian politician who served twice as the Prime Minister of Armenia and was the third President of Armenia, from 2008 to 2018. He won the February 2008 presidential election with the backing of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, a party in which he serves as chairman, and took office in April 2008. On 18 February 2013, he was re-elected as president and served the entire term.

Head of the Police of Armenia

  • Hayk Haroutyunyan (January 2003 - May 29, 2008)
  • Alik Sargsyan (May 29, 2008 - November 1, 2011)
  • Vladimir Gasparyan (November 1, 2011 - May 10, 2018)
  • Valeri Osipyan (May 10, 2018 – Present)

Structure

The Police are organised into the Central Body, and 11 geographic divisions. [1]

Central Body

The Departments of the Central Body are: [1] 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, as well as the National Central Bureau of Interpol.

National Central Bureau

The NCB is divided into three divisions: [6] [7]

  • 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.

Divisions

There is one police department for the city of Yerevan, and one for each of the 10 Marzer.

Uniforms and equipment

A police honour guard. Armenian Police Honour Guard.jpeg
A police honour guard.

Decrees passed in October 2002 and April 2003 set the rules for police officers' uniforms. [1] 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. [1]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-10-15. Retrieved 2009-03-08.
  2. ↑ Interpol entry Retrieved 14 May 2007
  3. ↑ "Հեղափոխության լույսը խամրեցնող առաջին որոշումները". 1in.am. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  4. ↑ See for example http://www.mia.gov.az/index.php?/en/content/278/
  5. ↑ "FROM THE RA POLICE HISTORY: CHRONICS" . Retrieved 2018-07-19.
  6. 1 2 "Internet / Home - INTERPOL" (PDF). Interpol.int. 2017-09-26. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-07-14. Retrieved 2017-10-01.
  7. ↑ "Internet / Home - INTERPOL" (PDF). Interpol.int. 2017-09-26. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-03-01. Retrieved 2017-10-01.
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