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The National Police of Colombia (Spanish: ''Policía Nacional de Colombia'') is the national police force of the Republic of Colombia. Although the National Police is not part of the
Military Forces of Colombia The Military Forces of Colombia ( es, Fuerzas Militares de Colombia, links=no) are the unified armed forces of the Republic of Colombia. They consist of the Colombian Army, the Colombian Navy and the Colombian Air Force. The National Police of ...
(Army, Navy, and Air Force), it constitutes along with them the "Public Force" and is also controlled by the
Ministry of Defense {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in state ...
. The National Police is the only civilian police force in Colombia. The force's official functions are to protect the Colombian nation, enforce the law by constitutional mandate, maintain and guarantee the necessary conditions for public freedoms and rights and to ensure peaceful cohabitation among the population.


History


Creation in the 19th century

During the second half of the 19th century Colombia went through many political changes and struggles to define itself as a nation. Tensions between the two main political parties, the
Colombian Liberal Party The Colombian Liberal Party ( es, Partido Liberal Colombiano; PLC) is a centre to centre-left political party in Colombia. It was founded as a classical liberal party but later developed a more social-democratic tradition, joining the Sociali ...
and the
Colombian Conservative Party The Colombian Conservative Party ( es, Partido Conservador Colombiano) is a conservative political party in Colombia. The party was formally established in 1849 by Mariano Ospina Rodríguez and José Eusebio Caro. The Conservative party along ...
, escalated to numerous civil wars trying to establish a political system between
federalism Federalism is a combined or compound mode of government that combines a general government (the central or "federal" government) with regional governments ( provincial, state, cantonal, territorial, or other sub-unit governments) in a single ...
or
centralism Centralisation or centralization (see spelling differences) is the process by which the activities of an organisation, particularly those regarding planning and decision-making, framing strategy and policies become concentrated within a particu ...
and other major differences. The National Police of Colombia was established by Law 90 of 1888 to be under government orders and as a dependency of the then Ministry of Government intended to function as a
gendarmerie Wrong info! --> A gendarmerie () is a military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (literally, ...
for
Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city of Colombia, and one of the larges ...
. The new institution was planned to be a force of 300 gendarmes divided into three companies; commanded by a captain, two lieutenants and a second lieutenant, all commanded by two high-ranking officers. On October 23, 1890, acting president
Carlos Holguín Mallarino Carlos Holguín Mallarino (11 June 1832 – 19 October 1894) was a Colombian lawyer, journalist, and politician, who became President of Colombia between 1888 and 1892, acting in the absence of President Rafael Núñez (politician), Rafael N� ...
sanctioned into law the authorization to hire any qualified trainers from either the United States or Europe to organize and train the newly established National Police. The Colombian officials selected a French commissioner named
Jean Marie Marcelin Gilibert Jean Marie Marcelin Gilibert, also known as Juan Maria Marcelino Gilibert (24 February 1839, in Fustignac, France – 11 September 1923, in Bogotá, Colombia), was a French Commissioner in the French Gendarmerie. He was sent to Colombia as par ...
. The institution was formally established by decree 1000 of November 5, 1891. The initial mission of the National Police was to preserve public tranquility, protecting people and public and private properties. By constitutional law the institution had to enforce and guarantee the rights of the people, the constitution and its laws, and obey their authority. Its function also included the authority to take action to prevent crimes and prosecute and arrest law-breakers. The National Police was intended to recognize no privileges or distinctions among the general population. The only exception was for international treaties established in the Constitution that gave immunity to members of diplomatic missions. File:Presidente Roberto Urdaneta Arbelaez.jpg, President Roberto Urdaneta Arbelaez File:oficial de transportes.jpg, Oficial de Transportes, 1957 File:comandante motos.jpg, First motorcycle squad, 1953 File:subteniente ambulancia.png, First Emergency Vehicle Ford March 1952 File:Cadetes Carlos Holguin.jpg, Class Cadetes Carlos Holguin 1951 Escuela General Santander File:revista centinela.jpg, ''Centinela'', magazine from class Cadetes Carlos Holguin, 1951 After a civil war broke out in 1895 during the
presidency A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified by ...
of Rafael Núñez, the president went absent and Miguel Antonio Caro took over office temporarily. Caro declared a general
state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...
in which authority over the National Police was transferred to the Ministry of War on January 21, 1896, and its members received the same privileges as military personnel. When aged president Manuel Antonio Sanclemente was replaced by Vice-president José Manuel Marroquín, who assumed the presidency, the National Police was restructured and organized in a military manner. It was then transferred back to the Ministry of Government. To guarantee the security of Bogotá, the National Police was divided into seven districts to cover the entire city. A mutual fund called ''Caja de Gratificaciones'' was set up to pay benefits to service members, financed by the penalties imposed to the civilian population. By 1899 the National Police had a force of 944 agents divided into eight divisions.


20th century

When the most intense of the civil wars broke out, known as the Thousand Days' War (1899–1902), the National Police was once again assigned to the Ministry of War until September 6, 1901. Under the Decree 1380 of September 16, 1902 the National Police created the Presidential Palace Honor Guard Corps with the name ''Guardia Civil de la Ciudad de Bogotá'' (Civil Guard of the City of Bogotá). During the presidency of
Rafael Reyes Rafael Reyes Prieto (December 5, 1849 – February 18, 1921) was a Colombian politician and soldier who was the Chief of Staff of the Colombian National Army and President of Colombia (1904–1909).Gobernantes Colombianos, Ignacio Arismendi Po ...
, the government authorized by decree 743 of 1904, the transfer of the Police to the Ministry of War, with the president micro-managing the institution. By authorization of Law 43 the Judicial Commissary of Police was established under the dependency of the General Command of the National Police to investigate crimes within its jurisdiction. From 1906 to 1909 the government created a cloned institution with similar functions to the National Police named the National
Gendarmerie Wrong info! --> A gendarmerie () is a military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (literally, ...
Corps (''Cuerpo de Gendarmeria Nacional'') intended to function decentralized from the National Police command and more militarized regime, managed by the Ministry of War. When General Jorge Holguín suppressed the National Gendarmerie Corps, the province governors were given the authority to organize police services at their own will. Law 14 signed on November 4, 1915 defined the National Police functions to "preserve public tranquility in Bogotá and any other place where needed to execute its functions, protect citizens and aid the constitutional law by enforcing it and the judicial branch of government." The institution was divided into three groups; the first in charge of security and vigilante functions, a second group acting as civil gendarmerie guard whose main responsibility was protecting the postal service and controlling the prison system. The third group functioned as the judicial police. In 1916 the institution was trained by the Spanish Guardia Civil in their doctrine, mainly related to
criminology Criminology (from Latin , "accusation", and Ancient Greek , ''-logia'', from λόγος ''logos'' meaning: "word, reason") is the study of crime and deviant behaviour. Criminology is an interdisciplinary field in both the behavioural and s ...
. They were restructured by Decree 1628 of October 9 of 1918, assigning the direction, sub-direction and Inspector General duties to officers seconded from the
National Army of Colombia The National Army of Colombia ( es, Ejército Nacional de Colombia) is the land warfare service branch of the Military Forces of Colombia. With over 361,420 active personnel as of 2020, it is the largest and oldest service branch in Colombia, an ...
- thus the basis for the Prussian style dress uniforms used today. Later the same year, as authorized by a Law 74 of November 19, 1919, the Colombian president hired a French instructor and chief of detectives, who was an expert in the anthropometric system to train the National Police. In 1924 the Criminal Investigation School was founded to update personnel working in this area. In 1929 the Colombian government in agreement with the
Argentine Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, ...
government, hired Enrique Medina Artola to train the Colombian Police in dactylography to replace the anthropometric system. In 1934 in an agreement with the Spanish government the National Police was trained in scientific identification until 1948. On July 7, 1937 by Decree 1277, the government authorized the creation of the General Santander Academy, which began operating in 1940 as an institute for every police recruit in the force. In 1939 the Colombian government receives the first cooperation agreement with the United States, through a
Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice ...
(FBI) committee headed by agent Edgar K. Thompson.


El Bogotazo and La Violencia

In 1948 when the civil unrest known as "El Bogotazo" broke out, after the assassination of the popular presidential candidate
Jorge Eliecer Gaitán Jorge is a Spanish and Portuguese given name. It is derived from the Greek name Γεώργιος (''Georgios'') via Latin ''Georgius''; the former is derived from (''georgos''), meaning "farmer" or "earth-worker". The Latin form ''Georgius'' ...
, the stability of the country was abruptly interrupted. This generated a period of civil unrest known as La Violencia, which lasted for almost a decade. The government then decided to restructure the institution once again, with the cooperation and advice from the British. The English mission was composed of Colonel Douglas Gordon, Colonel Eric M. Roger, Lieutenant Colonel Bertrand W.H. Dyer, Major Frederick H. Abbot and Major William Parham, primarily assisted by Colombian lawyers Rafael Escallón, Timoleón Moncada, Carlos Losano Losano, Jorge and Enrique Gutiérrez Anzola. By Decree 0446 of February 14, 1950 the National Police created the Gonzálo Jiménez de Quesada Non-Commissioned School to train mid-level enlisted staff under the management of the
General Santander National Police Academy General Santander National Police Academy (or ''Escuela General Santander de la Policia Nacional'' in Spanish) is the main educational center for the Colombian National Police. The academy functions as a university for the formation of its force ...
.


Military Dictator, Gustavo Rojas Pinilla

On June 13, 1953 Lieutenant General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla seized power in a coup d'etat, assuming functions as President of Colombia. In an attempt to better organize the military forces, President Rojas declared the Decree 1814 on the same day officially renaming and revamping the General Command of the Military Forces of Colombia under the name of General Command of the Armed Forces of Colombia. It defined the conformation of the Armed Forces as comprising the
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
,
Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...
,
Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...
and the National Police, the last assigned to the Ministry of War once again as a fourth military power, functioning with its own independent budget and organization, separate from the other branches as established by law. The Ministry of War was later renamed as the Ministry of Defense. Many Police Academies were planned and constructed in other cities of Colombia. In 1953 the Antonio Nariño Police Academy in
Barranquilla Barranquilla () is the capital district of Atlántico Department in Colombia. It is located near the Caribbean Sea and is the largest city and third port in the Caribbean Coast region; as of 2018 it had a population of 1,206,319, making it Co ...
and the Alejandro Gutiérrez Police Academy in Manizales were opened, followed by a social plan for retirement and social security called ''Caja de Sueldos de la Policia Nacional'' by Decree 417 of 1954. The Eduardo Cuevas Academy later opened in 1955 in the city of Villavicencio and the Carlos Holguín Academy in
Medellín Medellín ( or ), officially the Municipality of Medellín ( es, Municipio de Medellín), is the second-largest city in Colombia, after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia. It is located in the Aburrá Valley, a central re ...
was opened in 1958. During this year a cooperation mission arrived from
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...
to reorganize and train the
Carabinier A carabinier (also sometimes spelled carabineer or carbineer) is in principle a soldier armed with a carbine. A carbiniere is a carabiniere musket or rifle and were commonplace by the beginning of the Napoleonic Wars in Europe. The word is d ...
Corps in urban and rural surveillance. As established in Law 193 of December 30, 1959, the Colombian nation assumed full financial responsibility for the National Police.


Colombian Armed Conflict

In 1964, as mandated by the Decree 349 of February 19, the Police Superior Academy was founded to indoctrinate officers with the rank of Major to the grade of Lieutenant Colonels. By 1977 the institution had created the first course for female officers. During the 1960s and 1970s the National Police started facing guerrilla threats which were emerging during these years as a backlash from the political bipartisan struggle of the La Violencia years. There was also the growing problem of contraband and illegal drug trafficking and the involvement of the United States with the implementation of the Plan LASO as a
proxy war A proxy war is an armed conflict between two states or non-state actors, one or both of which act at the instigation or on behalf of other parties that are not directly involved in the hostilities. In order for a conflict to be considered a p ...
plan against the expansion of
Communism Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, ...
during the
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...
. Later, the declaration of the
War on Drugs The war on drugs is a global campaign, led by the United States federal government, of drug prohibition, military aid, and military intervention, with the aim of reducing the illegal drug trade in the United States.Cockburn and St. Clair, 1 ...
and the
Plan Colombia Plan Colombia was a United States foreign aid, military aid, and diplomatic initiative aimed at combating Colombian drug cartels and left-wing insurgent groups in Colombia. The plan was originally conceived in 1999 by the administrations of Col ...
would eventually help develop the present and ongoing
Colombian Armed Conflict The Colombian conflict ( es, link=no, Conflicto armado interno de Colombia) began on May 27, 1964, and is a low-intensity asymmetric war between the government of Colombia, far-right paramilitary groups, crime syndicates, and far-left guerril ...
involving mainly guerrillas: the
FARC-EP The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People's Army ( es, link=no, Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de ColombiaEjército del Pueblo, FARC–EP or FARC) is a Marxist–Leninist guerrilla group involved in the continuing Colombian conf ...
including its Patriotic Union Party, ELN, EPL, M-19, among many others; the
Drug Cartel A drug cartel is any criminal organization with the intention of supplying drug trafficking operations. They range from loosely managed agreements among various drug traffickers to formalized commercial enterprises. The term was applied when the l ...
s such as the Medellín Cartel,
Cali Cartel The Cali Cartel ( es, Cartel de Cali) was a drug cartel based in southern Colombia, around the city of Cali and the Valle del Cauca. Its founders were the brothers Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela and Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela. They broke away fr ...
, and others;
paramilitarism A paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. Paramilitary units carr ...
and the AUC. The Colombian National Police have been fighting against these many threats, tainted or involved in some cases of corruption and accusations of
human rights violations Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hum ...
, amid the efforts of the majority of the institution to change its image.


Late 1990s improvement drive

During successive weak presidencies, some Colombian National Police members were accused of being involved in many corruption cases, including guerrilla collaboration; paramilitarism and the cleansing of the leftist Patriotic Union Party, among other cases; and the corruption generated by the drug cartels' illegal money or other criminal activities. The CNP became untrusted by the general population of Colombia and the country was facing an intense conflict or a full scale
civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...
. To prevent this situation the institution began a process of change focusing on reinvigorating the values and principles of the institution, mostly led by General Rosso Jose Serrano. Colombia's problems were demanding a strong government with strong institutions to face the numerous violations to the constitution and the population in general. The first steps towards this path was the relegation of bad policemen inside the force and targeting the major criminal organizations. The institution also focused on providing better benefits for the policemen and their families; and a particular effort to restore the trust of the community for the police force, emphasizing preventing crime, educating the population and the policemen on cordial relationships, neighborhood watch, cooperation, and community development. Since 1995 the National Police has begun to change norms, structures, and standard operating procedures, essentially on policemen's judgment toward accomplishing missions and encouraging those who are willing to work with selfless service, integrity, leadership, and a vision of improving the population in general. The National Police continues to have some corruption and human rights problems but the improvement has been considerable, including the education of personnel in other countries' law enforcement institutions and educational institutions through cooperation agreements. The institution is also highly involved in the
Plan Colombia Plan Colombia was a United States foreign aid, military aid, and diplomatic initiative aimed at combating Colombian drug cartels and left-wing insurgent groups in Colombia. The plan was originally conceived in 1999 by the administrations of Col ...
.


2007 Wiretapping Scandal

In May 2007, Revista Semana released transcripts of illegal wiretaps of incarcerated paramilitary leaders. After admitting his knowledge of the taps, commanding general Jorge Daniel Castro was asked to resign, along with General Guillermo Chavez Ocana, the intelligence chief. General Oscar Naranjo Trujillo, a relatively junior general, was named to replace Castro. Due to police rules, Naranjo's appointment required the additional retirement of 10 senior generals.


Ranks


Officers

The Officer Corps of the Colombian National Police forms the commanding level of the institution, starting with the rank of sub-lieutenant, and ascending through lieutenant, captain, major, lieutenant colonel, colonel, brigadier general, major general, lieutenant general to the final and top grade of general. This branch is in charge of the administrative area of the institution and its public relations.


Rank Badges


Executives

The executive branch is formed by chief officers of the Colombian National Police, who are commissioned to political appointee duties, and may or may not actually be professional police officers. In these circumstances, there is often a professional chief of police in charge of day-to-day operations.


Rank Badges


Enlisted

This branch of the Colombian National Police is in charge of executing operations and functions under the command of the officers.


Auxiliary Police

* Auxiliar de Policía : Auxiliary Police: Military conscripts serving their compulsory military service in the National Police for (18) eighteen months, performing any other activities as a professional member of the institution. They use small arms,
side-handle baton A baton (also known as a truncheon or nightstick) is a roughly cylindrical club made of wood, rubber, plastic, or metal. It is carried as a compliance tool and defensive weapon by law-enforcement officers, correctional staff, security guar ...
s (
Tonfa The ''tonfa'' ( Okinawan: , lit. ''old man's staff'' / ''"crutch"''), also spelled as ''tongfa'' or ''tuifa'', also known as T-baton is a melee weapon with its origins in the armed component of Okinawan martial arts. It consists of a stic ...
), and in areas of public policing or are guards of the police station, using long range weapons (rifles). * Auxiliar de Policía Bachiller: Auxiliary Police Bachelor: Provides his compulsory military service in the National Police for (12) twelve months performing community activities, such as regulating traffic and other primary activities of police. Does not use firearms.


Organization

The National Police is an armed police service that is civilian in nature, with a hierarchical structure, similar to that of the Military Forces of Colombia. The CNP is headed by the General of the National Police, who is appointed by the President of the Republic, and must be a General officer of the institution. Because their jurisdiction is national, the police distributed in its coverage: (8) Regional Police, (5) Metropolitan Police and (34) Police Departments, including the region of Uraba. The Directorate General (DIPON), is divided into six directorates support services (administrative), eight operational direction, a direction of educational counselors and five offices: * Operational Level: ** Dirección de Seguridad Ciudadana (DISEC) - Directorate for Citizens Security (DISEC) ** Dirección de Carabineros y Seguridad -
Directorate of Carabiners and Rural Security The Directorate of Carabineers and Rural Security of the National Police of Colombia supervises the Mounted Police, or Carabinier#Colombian carabineros, Carabineros Corps, a rural paramilitary police force resulting from the 1993 reform to patrol ...
** Dirección de Investigación Criminal e Interpol (DICIL) -
Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Interpol The Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Interpol es, Dirección de Investigación Criminal e Interpol (DICI), formerly the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police and Intelligence ( es, Dirección Central de Policía Judicial e Inteligen ...
** Dirección de Inteligencia Policial (DIPOL) - Police Intelligence Directorate (DIPOL) ** Dirección de Antinarcóticos (DIRAN) - Anti-Narcotics Directorate (DIRAN) ** Dirección de Protección y Servicios Especiales (DIPRO) - Directorate for Protection and Special Services (DIPRO) ** Dirección Antisecuestro y Antiextorsión - Directorate for Anti-kidnapping and Anti Extortion ** Dirección de Tránsito y Transporte - Directorate of Traffic and Transportation * Administrative level: ** Dirección Administrativa y Financiera (DIRAF) - Directorate for Administration and Finance ** Dirección de Talento Humano (DITAH) - Directorate of Human Capability ** Dirección de Sanidad (DISAN) - Directorate of Health ** Dirección de Bienestar Social (DIBIE) - Directorate of Social Welfare ** Dirección de Incorporación (DINCO) - Directorate of Incorporation * Advisory offices: ** Inspección General (INSGE) - Inspector General ** Oficina de Planeación (OFPLA) - Planning Office ** Secretaria General (SEGEN) - Secretary General ** Oficina de Telemática (OFITE) - Office of TeleCommunications ** Oficina de Comunicaciones Estratégicas (COEST) - Office of Strategic Communications


Special Groups

The following Grupos especiales or Special Groups exist within the CNP: * (COPES) Comando de Operaciones Especiales (Commando group) * (GOES) Grupo de Operaciones Especiales (SWAT) * (CORAM) Comando de Reacción Motorizada (Motorized reaction group) * (JUNGLA) Comandos Jungla Antinarcóticos (counter narcotics) * (CEAT) Cuerpo Especial Antiterrorista (Anti and counter terror) * (EMCAR) Escuadrón Móvil de Carabineros (Rural vigilance) * (ESMAD) Escuadrón Móvil Antidisturbios (Riot police) * (GRATE) Grupo Antiterrorista (Anti terror) * (BLAUR) Grupo Bloque Antiterrorista Urbano (Urban Anti Terror) * (UNIR) Unidad de Intervención y Reacción (Quick reaction force) * (FUCUR) Fuerza de Control Urbano (urban control) * (GAULA) Grupos de Acción Unificada por la Libertad personal (Unified Action Group for Liberty) (Counter kidnap, counter extortion, and hostage rescue)


Regional organization

* Police Regions # Región de Policía No. 1 - Police Region 1 headquartered in Bogota # Región de Policía No. 2 - Police Region 2 headquartered in Neiva # Región de Policía No. 3 - Police Region 3 headquartered in Pereira # Región de Policía No. 4 - Police Region 4 headquartered in Cali # Región de Policía No. 5 - Police Region 5 headquartered in Cucuta # Región de Policía No. 6 - Police Region 6 headquartered in Medellin # Región de Policía No. 7 - Police Region 7 headquartered in Villavicencio # Región de Policía No. 8 - Police Region 8 headquartered in Barranquilla * Policía Metropolitana - Metropolitan Police - There are 17 metropolitan police commands in Bogota, Tunja, Medellin, Cali, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Cucuta, Pereira, Bucaramanga, Santa Marta, Valle de Aburrá, Pereira, Ibagué, Neiva, Villavicencio, Pasto and Popayán. These are led by either Colonels or Brigadier Generals. * Departamento de Policía - Departmental Police - Each of the 32 departments of Colombia have a full Departmental Police Command with a Colonel as Commanding officer, with Uraba and Magdalena Medio having their own departmental police commands bringing the total number to 34. Both are subdivided as follows: # Comando Operativo de Seguridad Ciudadana - Operational command of Public Safety # Distrito de Policía - Police District # Estación de Policía - Police Station # Subestación de Policía - Police Substation # Comandos de Atención Inmediata – CAI - immediate attention Commands # Puesto de Policía - Police Posts


Schools

The Colombian National Police has 18 different educational facilities throughout Colombia.


General Santander Academy

The General Santander National Police Academy is the main educational center for the Colombian National Police. The academy functions as a university for the formation of its force, focusing primarily on officers. It is located in
Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city of Colombia, and one of the larges ...
.


National Police NCO School "Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada"

Based in
Sibaté Sibaté () is a municipality and town of Colombia in the Soacha Province, part of the department of Cundinamarca. Sibaté is located on the Bogotá savanna with the urban centre at an altitude of and a distance of from the capital Bogotá. It f ...
, Cundinamarca Department, the National Police NCO School trains all active non-commissioned personnel of the National Police in the police sciences, basic police training and proper methods in policing.


National Carabinier School "Alfonso Lopez Pumarejo"

The National Carabinier School with its campus in Facatativá in Cundinamarca trains the Colombian Carabiniers, the mounted and rural branch of the National Police dedicated towards keeping law and order in the nation's rural communities, and one of its oldest components, having been set up in 1846, 45 years before the advent of the National Police.


National Police Staff College

Stationed in Bogota, the national capital city, this institution trains all senior grade officers of the National Police in preparation for them to receive more higher responsibilities.


Bogota Metropolitan Police Academy "Lieutenant Colonel Julián Ernesto Guevara Castro"

The Bogota Metropolitan Police Academy trains all officers, executive staff and policemen for service in the capital city.


Sumapaz Provincial Police Academy

With campus in Fusagasugá,
Sumapaz Province Sumapaz Province is one of the 15 provinces in the Cundinamarca Department, Colombia. External links Sumapaz Province in Cundinamarca Provinces of Cundinamarca Department Province A province is almost always an administrative division ...
, Cundinamarca, it is one of the foremost departamental police academies of the National Police, training men and women in public security and police skills in the province and throughout the Greater Bogota area.


Antonio Nariño Police Academy

Stationed in Soledad, Atlántico, this police academy trains future non-commissioned police agents and executive staff in service in the Greater Barranquilla area.


National Police Air Training School

Located in the municipality of Mariquita, Tolima, it trains police agents, executive service staff, and officers for service in the Police Air Service.


National Police School of Criminal Investigation and Detection

Based in Bogota it is the primary center for the education of police personnel in the processes of criminal investigation.


Equipment


Transport

# Armed speedboats. # Transport trucks. # Armored vehicles. # Buffalo riot control vehicles # Pick-Up Trucks for rural transport. # Toyota Prado and
Nissan Patrol The is a series of full-size SUVs manufactured by Nissan in Japan and sold throughout the world. The Patrol has been available as either a short-wheelbase (SWB) three-door or a long-wheelbase (LWB) five-door chassis since 1951. The LWB versio ...
Trucks for patrol. # Vans to transport prisoners and metropolitan work. # Buses to transport prisoners #
Chevrolet Optra The Chevrolet Optra is an automotive nameplate used by the Chevrolet marque for two different compact car models, in the following markets: *Daewoo Lacetti (2004–2013), in markets such as Colombia, Canada, Mexico, Japan and Southeast Asia *B ...
work for metropolitan and prosecution. # High-powered motorcycles.


Personal weapons

Grenade launchers: *
Mk 19 grenade launcher The Mk 19 grenade launcher (pronounced Mark 19) is an American 40 mm belt-fed automatic grenade launcher that was first developed during the Vietnam War. Overview The Mk 19 is a belt-fed, blowback-operated, air-cooled, crew-ser ...
*
M79 Grenade Launcher The M79 grenade launcher is a single-shot, shoulder-fired, break-action grenade launcher that fires a 40×46mm grenade, which uses what the US Army calls the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low, and first appeared during the V ...
* Milkor MGL Machine Guns: * IMI Negev * GAU-17 *
M240 machine gun The M240 – officially the Machine Gun, 7.62 mm, M240 – is the U.S. military designation for the FN MAG, a family of belt-fed, gas-operated medium machine guns that chamber the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. The M240 has been used by t ...
*
M249 SAW The M249 light machine gun (LMG), also known as the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW), which continues to be the manufacturer's designation, and formally written as Light Machine Gun, 5.56 mm, M249, is the American adaptation of the Belgian F ...
*
M60 Machine gun The M60, officially the Machine Gun, Caliber 7.62 mm, M60, is a family of American general-purpose machine guns firing 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges from a disintegrating belt of M13 links. There are several types of ammunition approved fo ...
*
GAU-19 The GAU-19/A (GECAL 50) is an electrically driven, three-barrel rotary heavy machine gun that fires the .50 BMG (12.7×99mm) cartridge. Technical specifications The GAU-19/A is designed to accept standard NATO .50 caliber M9-linked ammunition ...
*
M1919 Browning machine gun The M1919 Browning is a .30 caliber medium machine gun that was widely used during the 20th century, especially during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The M1919 saw service as a light infantry, coaxial, mounted, aircraft, ...
*
M2 Browning The M2 machine gun or Browning .50 caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed towards the end of World War I by John Browning. Its design is similar to Browning's earlier M1919 Browning machine gun, ...
* Heckler & Koch HK21 * Ultimax 100 *
FN MAG The FN MAG is a Belgian 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale (FN) by Ernest Vervier. It has been used by more than 80 countries and it has been made under licence in several countries, in ...
*
MG 42 The MG 42 (shortened from German: ''Maschinengewehr 42'', or "machine gun 42") is a German recoil-operated air-cooled general-purpose machine gun used extensively by the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS during the second half of World War II. Enter ...
* Vektor SS-77 Rifles: *
M4 carbine The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4) is a 5.56×45mm NATO, gas-operated, magazine-fed carbine developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 assault rifle. The M4 is extensive ...
*
M16 rifle The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-r ...
variants M16A2, M16A3 *
IMI Galil The IMI Galil ( he, גליל) is a family of Israeli-made automatic rifles chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO and 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges. Originally designed by Yisrael Galili and Yakov Lior in the late 1960s, the Galil was first produced ...
variants AR, SAR, ARM * Galil ACE * IMI Tavor TAR-21 Submachine guns: * Uzi * Walther MP * HK MP5 *
TDI Vector The KRISS Vector is a series of weapons based upon the parent submachine gun design developed by the American company KRISS USA, formerly Transformational Defense Industries (TDI). They use an unconventional delayed blowback system combined with ...
* Micro Tavor Handguns: *
Colt M1911 The M1911 (Colt 1911 or Colt Government) is a single-action, recoil-operated, semi-automatic pistol chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. The pistol's formal U.S. military designation as of 1940 was ''Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911'' for th ...
* Jericho 941 * CZ 45 * SIG Sauer P228 (M11) * SIG Sauer Pro variants 2009 and 2022 *
SIG Sauer P226 Sig used as a name may refer to: *Sig (given name) *Sig, Algeria, a city on the banks of the Sig River *Sig Alert, an alert for traffic congestion in California, named after Loyd Sigmon *Sig River, a river of Algeria also known as Mekerra sig (lo ...
*
CZ 75 The CZ 75 is a semi-automatic pistol made by Czech firearm manufacturer ČZUB. First introduced in 1975, it is one of the original " wonder nines" and features a staggered-column magazine, all-steel construction, and a hammer forged barrel. I ...
variant BD *
Smith & Wesson 459 The Smith and Wesson 459 is an updated version of the Model 59 with adjustable sights and checkered nylon grips. It was created for the US XM9 Pistol trials. It was a 9mm double/single action handgun with locked breech short recoil action. This ...
* Uberti Revolvers


Aircraft inventory

Servicio Aéreo de Policia (SAPOL) operates 39 fixed wing aircraft and 65 helicóptershttp://www.policia.gov.co/portal/page/portal/Antinarcoticos/boletin_alas/boletin_alas%203.pdf Fixed-wing * Air Tractor AT-802 *
ATR 42 The ATR 42 is a regional airliner produced by Franco-Italian manufacturer ATR, with final assembly in Toulouse, France. On 4 November 1981, the aircraft was launched with ATR, as a joint venture between French Aérospatiale (now Airbus) and ...
* Ayres S2R-T45 Turbo Thrush *
Basler BT-67 The Basler BT-67 is a utility aircraft produced by Basler Turbo Conversions of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It is a remanufactured and modified Douglas DC-3; the modifications are designed to significantly extend the DC-3's serviceable lifetime. Design ...
(produced by
Basler Turbo Conversions The Basler BT-67 is a utility aircraft produced by Basler Turbo Conversions of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It is a remanufactured and modified Douglas DC-3; the modifications are designed to significantly extend the DC-3's serviceable lifetime. Design ...
basically a retrofitted
Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper versi ...
airframe.) * Cessna TU206G Stationair *
Beechcraft 1900 The Beechcraft 1900 is a 19-passenger, pressurized twin-engine turboprop regional airliner manufactured by Beechcraft. It is also used as a freight aircraft and corporate transport, and by several governmental and military organizations. With ...
D * Beechcraft B300 King Air * Beechcraft 200 Super King Air * Beechcraft C99 * Bombardier Dash 8-300 *
Cessna 208B Grand Caravan The Cessna 208 Caravan is a utility aircraft produced by Cessna. The project was commenced on November 20, 1981, and the prototype first flew on December 9, 1982. The production model was certified by the FAA in October 1984 and its Cargoma ...
* Cessna 152 * de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter * Fairchild SA227-AC Metro III * Fairchild C-26 Helicopters * MD Helicopters MD-530F Lifter and MD-500D *
Bell OH-58 The Bell OH-58 Kiowa is a family of single-engine single- rotor military helicopters used for observation, utility, and direct fire support. It was produced by the American manufacturer Bell Helicopter and is closely related to the Model 206A ...
s and Bell 206B Ranger, Bell 206L Longranger * Bell UH-1Hs,
Bell 212 The Bell 212 (also known as the ''Twin Two-Twelve'') is a two-blade, medium helicopter that first flew in 1968. Originally manufactured by Bell Helicopter in Fort Worth, Texas, United States, production was moved to Mirabel, Quebec, Canada ...
,
Bell 412 The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter of the Huey family manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212, with the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor. Design and development Development began in the ...
*
Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky submitted the S-70 design for the United States Army's Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System ( ...
Bell 407/407 GX Bell Huey II


Historic Civil Guards now abolished

*Civil Guard (Colombia), created in 1902


See also

*
Crime in Colombia Colombia has a very high crime rate due to being a center for the cultivation and trafficking of cocaine. The Colombian conflict began in the mid-1960s and is a low-intensity asymmetric war between Colombian governments, paramilitary groups, c ...
*
Cuerpo Técnico de Investigación The CTI ( es, Cuerpo Técnico de Investigación, en, Technical Investigation Team) is a division of Office of the Attorney General of Colombia (). Purpose The main function for the CTI is to advise the Attorney General (Fiscal General) in the d ...
* Colombia Migration


References


External links

* * {{Authority control Ministry of National Defense (Colombia) National law enforcement agencies of Colombia 1891 establishments in Colombia Government agencies established in 1891
Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the ...