The Kuwait Police ( ar, شرطة الكويت) is an agency of the
Ministry of Interior of Kuwait, which maintains the national security envelope, defense of land border, coastal and the rule of law in the
State of Kuwait. The Kuwait Police Agency was established in 1938 by
Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah as the Directorate of Public Security Force.
History since 1938
Directorate of Public Security Force, Directorate of Police and Kuwait Army ( 1938-1962 )
The
Kuwait Army
The Kuwait Army, established in 1949, is the oldest armed branch among the military of Kuwait. Its cavalry and infantry predecessors operated in desert and metropolitan areas in 1919, 1920 and 1928 to 1938, tracing their roots directly to the ca ...
split from the
Directorate of Public Security Force in 1953; subsequently, the latter merged with
Directorate of Police to form
Directorate of Public Security and Police in 1959; following the demolition of the defensive wall of
Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
in 1957; which later formed the
Kuwait Ministry of Interior including the Kuwait Police with the enacting of the first cabinet of
ministers
Minister may refer to:
* Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric
** Minister (Catholic Church)
* Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department)
** Minister without portfolio, a member of governme ...
in the
Government of Kuwait
Kuwait is an emirate with a political system consisting of an appointed judiciary, appointed government (dominated by the Al Sabah ruling family), and nominally elected parliament.
Executive branch
The Constitution of Kuwait was approved and ...
on January 17, 1962.
Ministry of Interior (1962–present)
Saad Al-Abdullah Academy for Security Sciences
The main college in charge of training Kuwaiti police recruits is the Academy of Saad Al-Abdullah for Security Sciences,
[Official Website Sector of Saad Al-Abdullah Academy for Security Sciences, Kuwait Ministry of Interior](_blank)
/ref> established in 1969 and named after the 14th ruler and 4th Emir of Kuwait
The Emir of the State of Kuwait is the monarch and head of state of Kuwait, the country's most powerful office. The emirs of Kuwait are members of the Al Sabah dynasty.
Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah became the emir of Kuwait on 30 Sep ...
, Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah
Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah ( ar, سعد العبد الله السالم الصباح, translit=Saʿad al-ʿAbdullāh as-Sālim as-Sabāh) (1930 – 13 May 2008) was the Emir of Kuwait and Commander of the Kuwait Military Forces d ...
.
Following the independence of Kuwait in 1961, the Kuwaiti Police department became attached to the newly formed Ministry of Interior in 1962.
From inception, the director of the Kuwait Public Security Force (today's Ministry of Interior) was part of the military due to the incorporation of the Kuwaiti Army part of the Kuwait Public Security Force under the guidance of Sheikh Abdullah Mubarak Al-Sabah.
Following 1961 and depending on the geopolitical environment; Kuwaiti Ministers of Interior; unless very experienced in handling global operations of departmental affairs; have been seconded from the military as well due to the close historical operation cooperation with other constituents of the Military of Kuwait
The Kuwait Military Forces ( ar, القوات المسلحة الكويتية, Al-Quwwat Al-Musallahah Al-Kuwaitiyah) are the military forces of the State of Kuwait. They consist of the Kuwait Air Force, the Kuwait Army, the Kuwait Navy & the ...
. For instance, Kuwait's fourth Chief of the General Staff The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is a post in many armed forces (militaries), the head of the military staff.
List
* Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ( United States)
* Chief of the General Staff (Abkhazia)
* Chief of General Staff (Af ...
of the Kuwait Armed Forces, Lt.Gen.(ret.) Sheikh Jaber Al-Khaled Al-Sabah held the post of Minister of Interior from October 28, 2007 to February 6, 2011.
In 2001, the Kuwaiti Council of Ministers approved the drafting of female police officers; consequently, the first female trainees were admitted to the Saad Al-Abdullah Academy in 2007, with the first group graduating in 2009.
Since 2013, the interior ministry has been headed by Sheikh Mohammad Al Khalid Al Sabah.
The Kuwait Police went on alert as a result of the 2015 military intervention in Yemen by a coalition of forces of Arab countries including Kuwait. The National Guard
National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards.
Nat ...
, Police, the Kuwait Armed Forces and Fire Service Directorate activated defense plans to strengthen internal security measures.[Kuwait on alert due to Yemen conflict- Armed Forces called to duty- Oil facilities on alert](_blank)
Retrieved 28 March 2015. Defense measures also included intensifying security around oil installations in Kuwait and abroad.
Sectors of the Ministry of Interior (1962–present)
Office of the Minister of Interior
The office of the minister of interior has at his disposition the command of the various sectors, administrations and departments through the assistance of the office of the undersecretary of the ministry of interior. Ministry of Interior is headed by the Minister.
Office of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior
The office of the undersecretary ministry of interior is the deputy in charge of handling and tasking operations at all levels in the various sectors and associated general administrations and departments while reporting to the office of the minister of interior. The office is headed by a Lieutenant General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
of the ministry of interior.
Offices of the Assistant Undersecretaries of the Ministry of Interior
The offices of the assistant undersecretary of the ministry of interior range between civilian directors and military commanders. Some sectors include also general administrations and departments headed by civilian directors and military commanders and that usually depending on the nature of missions within the sector. Sectors, general administrations and departments of the military and civilian offices of the assistant undersecretaries vary on the environment and include (Special Forces
Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...
of the Interior, the Coast Guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...
, Land Border Force of the Interior, Public Security, Counter Drug Force, Traffic Task Force, Interpol
The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cri ...
Task Force, Criminal Investigations and others)
Police Stations and Service Centers
List of Police Stations in Governorates
Kuwait is divided into six governates. Each governorate
A governorate is an administrative division of a state. It is headed by a governor. As English-speaking nations tend to call regions administered by governors either State (administrative division), states or province, provinces, the term ''govern ...
is subdivided into several areas. The Ministry of Interior maintains 62 police stations:
List of Police Service Centers
The Ministry of Interior maintains 48 police service centers:
See also
* Military of Kuwait
The Kuwait Military Forces ( ar, القوات المسلحة الكويتية, Al-Quwwat Al-Musallahah Al-Kuwaitiyah) are the military forces of the State of Kuwait. They consist of the Kuwait Air Force, the Kuwait Army, the Kuwait Navy & the ...
* Her Majesty's British Army Rank Officer and Enlisted Corps
* Police ranks of the United Kingdom
Police ranks are a system of hierarchical relationships in police organisations. The rank system defines authority and responsibility in a police organisation, and affects the culture within the police force. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's ...
References
{{Asia topic, Law enforcement in
Law enforcement in Kuwait