The State Police (Albanian: Policia e Shtetit) is the national police and largest law enforcement agency of the Republic of Albania. This agency is responsible for ensuring the safety of citizens, keeping the public order, and serving the people anytime anywhere. The Albanian Police emergency number is 129, or 112 for general emergency services.
The original Albanian Police was founded on 13 January 1913 by the government of Ismail Qemali, Albania's first prime minister.[3]
The collapse of the Communist system and the establishment of political pluralism post-1991 brought important changes to the structure of the Albanian Police. The Ministry of Public Order and the General Directorate of Police were established in April 1991, and the new law of July 1991 established the Public Order Police. Nearly 80% of police manpower, i.e. personnel who had served under the previous system, were replaced by new recruits.
On 4 November 1991, the Albanian Police was accepted as a member of Interpol.
Following the collapse of the Albanian economy in January–February 1997 in the wake of the implosion of the Ponzi pyramid banking schemes promoted by the government,[4] increasing insurgency in early March led to the Police and Republican Guard deserting en masse because it became clear they were unlikely to be paid, leaving their armouries unlocked,[5] which were promptly looted by parties unknown, believed to mostly have been the local crime bodies and self-appointed militias: many of the weapons eventually surfaced in the ethnic fighting in Kosovo.
The resulting anarchy led a number of nations to use military forces to evacuate citizens,[6][7] culminating in the UN authorising Operation Alba ("Daybreak"), a short-term military stabilisation force led by the Italian Army, tasked with facilitating the repatriation of foreigners and laying the foundations for another International Organisation to undertake the longer-term stabilisation. The political debate eventually settled in Europe within the body responsible for the defence diplomatic coordination of the Continent, the Council of the Western European Union. In a 2-hour meeting which convened at 1400 hrs on 2 May 1997,[8] the WEU Council decided on the immediate establishment of the Multinational Advisory Police Element, sending a pathfinder officer, a Norwegian Police Colonel, the same evening. The Italian force in Operation Alba predicated the Command structure of MAPE passing into the Italian Carabinieri, General Pietro Pistolese, previously commanding the Genoa region, bringing his team with him. Four phases followed, assessment, reconstruction, support of the Albanian Police control during the Kosovo Crisis, and finally build-down and handback in early 2001, which was somewhat accelerated ahead of the transfer of the WEU's operational responsibilities to the Council of the EU on 30 June 2001. The reconstruction principally involved the reconstruction of the Judicial system and the training of Police, but the Finance section also accommodated economic specialists acting as the principal feedback into the correction of the Judicial system. The Command Team later formed the core of the European Union Border Assistance Mission Rafah from 2005 onwards.
Public perception
Building of the Albanian State Police Headquarters in Tiranë
Public Safety: 82% of respondents reported feeling “safe” or “very safe” when walking alone in their neighborhood after dark.
Property Crime Concerns: 69% of respondents reported rarely worrying about home burglaries.
Police Performance Rating: 65% of respondents rated the State Police as performing “good” or “very good,” while 8% rated them as “poor.”
Treatment by Police: 67% of respondents believe police often or very often treat citizens with respect, while approximately one-third feel that respect is rarely shown.
The 2025 survey provides valuable insights into the public’s perception of the Albanian State Police, indicating progress in safety and government performance, while also identifying areas for further improvement in police-citizen interactions.
From 2014 to 2016, the Albanian State Police conducted several operations in criminally active regions, such as Lazarat, to restore public confidence and encourage support for law enforcement actions. In June 2014, approximately 800 police officers raided Lazarat, a village notorious for large-scale cannabis cultivation, seizing over 10 tonnes of marijuana.[11]
Albanian Police Special Forces known as RENEA alternatively the Albanian Police SWAT.
During this period, body cameras became an integral tool for the police, extensively used in drug busts and high-profile operations. In February 2016, body cameras were installed on police uniforms to improve police behavior and deter bribery.[12] However, the initiative to use body cameras began to decline due to high operating and maintenance costs, as well as time constraints, ultimately leading to their discontinuation for field officers.
In response to ongoing challenges, the Ministry of Interior introduced the Public Order Strategy 2015–2020, accompanied by the Action Plan 2015–2017. This comprehensive strategy aimed to modernize the Albanian State Police and align it with European Union standards. Key objectives included enhancing transparency and accountability, improving infrastructure, integrating advanced technologies into police operations, and building partnerships between the police and the public through community policing initiatives.[13]
The 2020s marked significant advancements in the operations of the Albanian State Police, particularly in tourism management. Between 2022 and 2024, the Border & Migration Department, especially the Border & Migration Police Team stationed at Tirana International Airport, effectively managed a yearly influx of 7 to 12 million passengers entering the country. This accomplishment highlighted the department’s efficiency and contribution to Albania’s growing tourism sector.[14]
Rank Structure
In 2015, the State Police underwent reorganizational reforms which were expected to continue for several years.[15] It implemented a new hierarchical structure composed of nine hierarchic ranks.[16][17]
Unlike many countries in the world where every sworn-in Policeman is called or referred to as a Police Officer, in Albania it works completely differently. Albanian State Police has preserved the way Ranks are Addressed, keeping them the same as in Communist Era where Police used Military Ranks that the Officers would be called Officers and Enlisted called Soldiers. Therefore, today the State Police’s Senior Ranking Officers and High Ranking Officers are addressed to as Police Officer (Albanian: Oficer Policie) and those that are below Vice Commissar are called Police Agent (Albanian: Agjent Policie) or simply Policeman (Albanian: Polic). Officially by law every State Police employee term of addressing is Police Employee (Albanian: Punonjes Policie). [18]
Shqiponjat The Eagles are a rapid response unit that handles domestic criminal activities.
Special Field Police
Forcat e Ndërhyrjes së Shpejtë The Rapid Intervention Force, also known as FNSH, is a quick intervention unit primarily dealing with cases of violent riots and special operations.
The Directorate of the Special Operational Force, also known as DFPO, is the main Criminal Police Special Force, similar to RENEA.
Special Operational Criminal Police Force
Recruitment & Training
To join the Albanian State Police, you must meet specific eligibility criteria and successfully navigate a multi-step recruitment process before being eligible to join the Albanian Security Academy on the way to become a Police Officer.
Applying for the Security Academy
Be Albanian citizen.
Be no older than 30 years.
Have completed at least secondary education.
Be in good physical and mental health.
Be at least 170 cm tall for men and 165 cm for women.
Have a valid category “B” driver’s license.
Have no criminal convictions or pending criminal cases.
Possess a certificate of reliability.
Not be excluded from the State Police or other national security structures, nor have left civil service.
Be fluent in spoken and written Albanian.
Additionally, Senior Ranking Officer Positions and above require a university degree in fields such as law, economics, or computer science, along with a minimum GPA of 8.0. [19]
Training & Security Academy
The Albanian State Police is trained through a structured and formal process at the Security Academy of Albania, which is the central institution for police education and training. [20]
New Cadets undergo basic training at the Security Academy, which includes:
Theoretical Education
Albanian criminal and procedural law
Human rights and democratic policing
Police ethics and professional standards
Use of force and firearms laws
Public order and crowd management
Communication and conflict resolution
Cybercrime and digital evidence (for certain positions)
Physical Training
Physical fitness and endurance exercises
Self-defense and arrest techniques
Firearms training (marksmanship and safety)
Tactical driving and pursuit operations
Role-playing and scenario-based simulations
First aid and emergency response
Basic police training lasts 12–18 months, combining classroom work and field exercises. Cadets must pass final exams to graduate and become full police officers.
Specialized Trainings
After initial training, officers can apply for specialized courses based on their assigned roles or career paths. These may include:
Criminal Investigation Techniques
Anti-Terrorism and Organized Crime
Border and Migration Police
Cybercrime Investigation
Forensics and Evidence Handling
Community Policing Strategies
Special units like RENEA, anti-drug unit, and counter-trafficking units receive advanced tactical training, often in collaboration with international partners.
Equipment
Albanian State Police has had a lot of Communist era equipment in storage, even though a few are still in use today. However, since 2014 the Ministry of Interior has been actively modernizing the State Police's uniforms, vehicles and weaponry, introducing newer modern equipment to replace their outdated Communist era equipment.
Field Police Employees’ Uniforms
The Albanian State Police uniforms have undergone several changes since 1991. Some visible changes to their uniforms and equipments are shown below:
The Albanian State Police like all other Police Forces around the world has some of its own Specialized Police Units, responsible for many different operations or missions.
FNSH Special Riot Unit.DFPO Operatives of Albanian State Police.Eagle Unit, mostly use motorcycles as their main Transport.
Weaponry
Since 2017 Government of Albania has been contracting with multiple countries, purchasing brand new weapons to replace their old Communist era weapons. The listed weaponry of ASP below, shows all of the Weapons used and currently used by ASP since 2010.
Plenty of vehicles have been bought from the Albanian Government, what is most surprising is the diversity when purchasing vehicles.
While many police forces around the world, usually tend to stick with 2-3 car brands in their fleets, Albania has been known to have numerous car brands in their police fleets, with the most popular car brand being Hyundai.
Here is a full list of the vehicles used and currently in use by Albanian State Police since 2010.
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