Law enforcement in the Azores is part of the

law enforcement in Portugal Law enforcement in Portugal is the responsibility of three bodies: * Guarda Nacional Republicana: National Republican Guard. A gendarmerie that mainly work out of major cities but in 98% of the Portuguese territory and provides a national highw ...

. The atlantic archipelago of

Azores ) , motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace") , anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores") , image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg , map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union , map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...

constitutes one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal, with a number of devolved powers being performed by its Regional Government. However, the law enforcement in the region remains mainly under the responsibility of the Central Government of Portugal, being performed by the several Portuguese national police agencies. There are, however, minor law enforcement agencies dependent from the Regional Government of Azores like the

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

police and the sanitary, food and economical police. Also, at the end of 2009, Ponta Delgada became the first city of a Portuguese autonomous region to create its own municipal police force. The several law enforcement agencies that operate in the Azores police a population of 240,000 people over an area of 2,333 km².News articl
''The 'old ways' have changed in the old country''
1995, retrieved May 29, 2007

National law enforcement agencies operating in the Azores

# Public Security Police (PSP) - Regional Command of the Azores: responsible for the preventive police in the region. In contrast to what happens in

Mainland Portugal Continental Portugal ( pt, Portugal continental, ) or mainland Portugal comprises the bulk of the Portuguese Republic, namely that part on the Iberian Peninsula and so in Continental Europe, having approximately 95% of the total population and 9 ...

- where PSP only operates in the main urban

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...

s and cities - in Azores it is also responsible for rural policing; # National Republican Guard (GNR) - Territorial Command of the Azores: responsible for customs, border and maritime patrol. In contrast to what happens in Mainland Portugal, GNR has not rural policing responsibilities in Azores. Except for a brief period in the 1940s and 1950s operating only as

military police Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, screening, rear recon ...

, GNR was not present in Azores until 1993, when it absorbed the former

Fiscal Guard , mottotranslated = For the Motherland and for the Law , formedyear = 1885 , formedmonthday = September 17 , preceding1 = Barrier guards ({{italic correction, {{lang, pt, Guardas barreiras ) , dissolved = 1993 , superseding ...

, including its units and responsibilities in the archipelago; #

Judicial Police The judicial police, judiciary police, or justice police are (depending on both country and legal system) either a branch, separate police agency or type of duty performed by law enforcement structures in a country. The term judiciary police is mo ...

(PJ) - Criminal Investigation Department of Ponta Delgada: responsible for the criminal investigation related with serious crimes; # Foreign and Border Service (SEF) - Regional Directory of the Azores: responsible for border and immigration control.

Notes

Enforcement Enforcement is the proper execution of the process of ensuring compliance with laws, regulations, rules, standards, and social norms. Governments attempt to effectuate successful implementation of policies by enforcing laws and regulations. Ena ...

{{Azores-stub

National law enforcement agencies operating in the Azores

See also

Notes