The National Police of East Timor ( tet, Polísia Nasionál Timór Lorosa'e, pt, Polícia Nacional de Timor-Leste) or PNTL is the national
police
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...
force of
East Timor
East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-weste ...
.
History
The PNTL was established in May 2002 by the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
, before sovereignty was passed to the new state, with a mandate to provide security and maintain
law and order throughout the country, and to enable the rapid development of a credible, professional and impartial police service. Recruitment drives were conducted in early 2000, and basic training commenced on 27 March 2000, under the auspices of the
United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor
The United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), ( pt, Administração Transitória das Nações Unidas em Timor Leste), was a United Nations mission in East Timor that aimed to solve the decades long East Timorese cri ...
(UNTAET). On 10 August 2001, the East Timor Police Service was officially established, working alongside CivPol, the United Nations Civilian Police Force. It later changed its name to the Timor-Leste Police Service, before finally adopting its current title of the .
It was not until independence, on 20 May 2002, that an agreement was signed outlining the terms and timetable for handing over of full policing duties from CivPol to the PNTL. The PNTL finally assumed responsibility for the whole country on 10 December 2003.
Organization
There are at least three special units within the PNTL: the Police Reserve Unit, formerly the Rapid Deployment Service; the Border Patrol Unit (Unidade de Patrulhamento de Fronteiras, UPF); and the Rapid Intervention Unit, or UIR, modelled after the
Portuguese National Republican Guard riot police, which served in East Timor before its independence.
Equipment
Vehicles
Firearms
* :
Glock 19
* :
Heckler & Koch G36
* :
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-roun ...
* :
Steyr AUG
The Steyr AUG () is an Austrian bullpup assault rifle chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO intermediate cartridge, designed in the 1960s by Steyr-Daimler-Puch, and now manufactured by Steyr Arms GmbH & Co KG.
It was adopted by the Austrian Arm ...
* :
FN FNC Mk2
* :
Heckler & Koch HK33
* :
FN F2000
Controversy
There are accusation that some PNTL officers have tortured prisoners who have been arrested.
Gallery
File:2019-03-27 Day of PNTL 3.jpg, National Police of East Timor officers
File:2019-03-27 Day of PNTL 7.jpg, National Police of East Timor officers
File:East timor - armoured cars-davidrobie.jpg, Armoured cars of PNTL
File:Police station at Bobonaro Village 2016.jpg, Police station at Bobonaro Village
Historical police emblems
POLDA TIMOR-TIMUR.png, Police patch during Indonesian occupation
Logo of the United Nations Police.svg, Patch of United Nations Civilian Police
The United Nations Police (UNPOL) is an integral part of the United Nations peace operations. Currently, about 11 530 UN Police officers from over 90 countries are deployed in 11 UN peacekeeping operations and 6 Special PoliticaMissions The ...
in East Timor
East Timor Police Service patch 2001.png, Police patch used during United Nations administration
PNTLbadge.jpg, Former badge of the post-independence National Police of East Timor
References
External links
Official Website
Law enforcement agencies of East Timor
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