The Police of the Republic of Armenia () 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 ...
of
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
.
The acting head is Vahe Ghazaryan, in office since 8 June 2020.
History
Soviet era
The first police service of
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
was formed in 1918, under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the
First Republic of Armenia
The First Republic of Armenia, officially known at the time of its existence as the Republic of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի Հանրապետութիւն), was the first modern Armenian state since the loss of Armenian statehood in the Middle ...
. On April 21, 1920, a ''
Militia
A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
'' was formed in
Yerevan
Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Y ...
based on the Soviet model. It was later renamed to the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs of the Armenian SSR or the
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union.
...
of the
Armenian SSR
The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic,; russian: Армянская Советская Социалистическая Республика, translit=Armyanskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika) also commonly referred to as Soviet A ...
, which was the Armenian subordinate to the
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union.
...
headquarters in Moscow. In 1929, the
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union.
...
of the
Armenian SSR
The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic,; russian: Армянская Советская Социалистическая Республика, translit=Armyanskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika) also commonly referred to as Soviet A ...
was dissolved and was reestablished in July 1934 as a reorganized political department. During World War II, the present-day building of the Armenian Police was built. The Armenian Regiment of Interior Forces of the
USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
Ministry of Internal Affairs
An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs.
Lists of current ministries of internal affairs
Named "ministry"
* Ministry ...
was established in 1963, and the Headquarters of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the
Armenian SSR
The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic,; russian: Армянская Советская Социалистическая Республика, translit=Armyanskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika) also commonly referred to as Soviet A ...
was founded in 1965.
Modern Armenia
On June 21, 1992, by order of President
Levon Ter-Petrosyan
Levon Hakobi Ter-Petrosyan ( hy, Լևոն Հակոբի Տեր-Պետրոսյան; born 9 January 1945), also known by his initials LTP, is an Armenian politician who served as the first president of Armenia from 1991 until his resignation in 1998 ...
, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia was formed from the former
Soviet Internal Troops
The Internal Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (VV; russian: Внутренние войска Министерства внутренних дел (ВВ), ''Vnutrenniye Voiska Ministerstva Vnutrennikh Del'' ...
. The ministry was active until December 2002, when the ministry, along with the Ministry of National Security, was reorganised into a non-ministerial institution, with the Ministry of Internal Affairs becoming the Police of Armenia.
The Armenian Ministry of Justice recommended the re-establishment of the ministry headed by a cabinet member in a three-year strategy of police reforms proposed to the government in 2019. As part of a major structural reform of the national police service, Prime Minister
Nikol Pashinian
Nikol Vovayi Pashinyan ( hy, Նիկոլ Վովայի Փաշինյան, ; born 1 June 1975) is an Armenian politician serving as the prime minister of Armenia since 8 May 2018.
A journalist by profession, Pashinyan founded his own newspaper in 1 ...
announced plans to recreate the Interior Ministry. A patrol service became active in June 2021.
On 16 September 2021, the Armenian Government signed a strategic cooperation agreement with
Europol.
Leadership
The activities of the police are directed by the chief of the police, who is appointed by the
president of Armenia
The president of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի Նախագահ, Hayastani Nakhagah) is the head of state and the guarantor of independence and territorial integrity of Armenia elected to a single seven-year term by the National Assembly of Arme ...
at the nomination of the
prime minister of Armenia
The prime minister of Armenia is the head of government and most senior minister within the Government of Armenia, Armenian government, and is required by the constitution to "determine the main directions of policy of the Government, manage the ...
.
The chief has one first deputy and several deputies,
appointed by the president upon nomination by the chief.
The commander of the police troops is appointed by the president and serves as ex officio deputy chief of the police.
Each of the deputy chiefs is assigned a sphere of responsibility by the chief of police, who is also assisted by a group of Advisers.
List of leaders (since 2003)
* Hayk Haroutyunyan (January 2003 – May 29, 2008)
* Alik Sargsyan (May 29, 2008 – November 1, 2011)
*
Vladimir Gasparyan
Vladimir "Vova" Sergeyi Gasparyan ( hy, Վլադիմիր Սերգեյի Գասպարյան, Born September 9, 1958) is a former Chief of the Republic of Armenia's police from November 1, 2011 till his dismissal on May 10, 2018.
Early life and c ...
(November 1, 2011 – May 10, 2018)
* Valeri Osipyan (May 10, 2018 – September 19, 2019)
* Arman Sargsyan (September 19, 2019 – June 8, 2020)
* Vahe Ghazaryan (June 8, 2020 – Present)
Central Body and Regional Divisions
The Police are organised into the Central Body, and 11 geographic divisions.
There is one police department for the city of
Yerevan
Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Y ...
, and one for each of the 10
Provinces
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...
. The Departments of the Central Body are:
* Headquarters
* Combating Organized Crime Main Department
* Criminal Investigations Main Department
* Investigative Main Department
* Public Order Department
* Personnel Department
* Information Centre
* Public Relations and Press Department
* Finances and Economic Affairs Department
* Administration
* Department of Road Inspection
* Passports and Visas Department
* State Protection Department
* Criminal Forensics and Legal Affairs Department
* National Central Bureau (NCB) of
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 ...
National Central Bureau
The NCB is divided into three divisions:
* Division for international search and general crime – responsible for conducting
criminal investigation
Criminal investigation is an applied science that involves the study of facts that are then used to inform criminal trials. A complete criminal investigation can include searching, interviews, interrogations, evidence collection and preservatio ...
s of an operational nature, preparing international notice requests and sending them to the General Secretariat for publication, providing liaison and co-ordination activities, maintaining criminal records, implementing criminal investigations concerning the search for wanted persons. The division comprises 6 police officers including a head of division.
*Division for the analysis and processing of
criminal intelligence
Criminal intelligence is information compiled, analyzed, and/or disseminated in an effort to anticipate, prevent, or monitor criminal activity.
The United States Army Military Police Corps defines criminal intelligence as information gathered or c ...
– division deals with the following areas: legal matters, analysis and processing of criminal intelligence on drug trafficking, fraud, organized crime, terrorism, corruption, counterfeiting, crimes against human beings, international relations support, general reference sources, methodological data, etc. It comprises 6 police officers including a head of division.
*Division for
telecommunications
Telecommunication is the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic systems. It has its origin in the desire of humans for communication over a distance greater than that fe ...
and
technical support
Technical support (abbreviated as tech support) is a call centre type customer service provided by companies to advise and assist registered users with issues concerning their technical products. Traditionally done on the phone, technical suppor ...
– division deals with matters relating to information technology systems, providing telecommunications services and technical support for the NCB. It consists of 7 police officers including a head of division.
Public Relations and Press Department
The Committee of Public Relations (part of the Public Relations and Press Department) was founded on 21 March 1994.
The department also maintains a 42-member
Police Band (''Հայաստանի ոստիկանության նվագախումբը'', ''Vostikanutyan Nvagaxumb'') based in
Yerevan
Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Y ...
which is currently led by Baghdasar Grigoryan. The band was created on 1 August 1972. It performs similar functions to the
Band of the Armenian Army General Staff, taking part in the most important events of the police and the state. In 2019, it performed at the graduation party of
Dubai Police Academy
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
.
Police Troops
The Armenian Police Troops () are composed mainly of personnel from the former Police Special Forces (SDFs) and the Rapid Reaction Forces (SDFs), who have actively participated in all combat operations carried out by the former Armenian Internal Troops and the
Soviet Internal Troops
The Internal Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (VV; russian: Внутренние войска Министерства внутренних дел (ВВ), ''Vnutrenniye Voiska Ministerstva Vnutrennikh Del'' ...
. On 21 June 1992, the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were formed by decree of
Levon Ter-Petrosyan
Levon Hakobi Ter-Petrosyan ( hy, Լևոն Հակոբի Տեր-Պետրոսյան; born 9 January 1945), also known by his initials LTP, is an Armenian politician who served as the first president of Armenia from 1991 until his resignation in 1998 ...
.
The day of formation of the police troops is celebrated every year, on 21 June. In February 1999 the Deputy Minister of the Interior and Commander of the Internal Troops, Major General Artsrun Makarian, was found shot dead. On 14 December 2004, the Internal Troops were renamed to the Police Troops. In 2009, there was a transition from conscription to contract service. In 2013 the
International Institute for Strategic Studies
The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is a British research institute or think tank in the area of international affairs. Since 1997, its headquarters have been Arundel House in London, England.
The 2017 Global Go To Think T ...
attributed the force with four paramilitary battalions, 55 AIFV including 44
BMP-1
The BMP-1 is a Soviet amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle, in service 1966–present. BMP stands for ''Boyevaya Mashina Pyekhoty 1'' (russian: link=no, Боевая Машина Пехоты 1; БМП-1), meaning "infantry fighting ...
, and 24 wheeled
armoured personnel carrier
An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world.
Acc ...
s.
The military units of the Internal Troops of the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs had a wide range of activities: including the protection of special facilities, maintenance of public order, public security service, preliminary training of conscripts, and training of non-commissioned officers. The Internal Troops had a helicopter (aviation) unit, which, being provided with appropriate helicopters, performed various transportation services during combat operations.
Wars
It took part in the
Four-Day War
The 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, also known as the Four-Day War,, IPA: ʰɑroɾjɑ pɑtɛɾɑzm az, Dördgünlük müharibə April War,; or April clashes, began along the Nagorno-Karabakh line of contact on 1 April 2016 with the Artsakh ...
and the
Second Nagorno-Karabakh War
The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict in 2020 that took place in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding territories. It was a major escalation of an unresolved conflict over the region, involving Azerbai ...
. During the latter war, sixty-five policemen were killed and six were considered missing. About 3,000 officers from the police troops went to the battlefront in shifts and took part in battles for Karvachar, Haterk, Jrakan, Berdzor and Shushi-Lisagor road. In 2018, it was deployed to the in the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. It also took part in the
First Nagorno-Karabakh War
The First Nagorno-Karabakh War, referred to in Armenia as the Artsakh Liberation War ( hy, Արցախյան ազատամարտ, Artsakhyan azatamart) was an ethnic and territorial conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in th ...
.
Special Operations Forces
It has carried out raids in the places of alleged "thieves' gatherings". It took part in the "Cobalt-2016" joint exercise of special forces units of the CSTO at the Marshal Baghramyan Training Ground of the Ministry of Defense.
Personnel
Oath
Persons serving in the Police, in front of the
state flag of Armenia, in accordance with the procedure established by the Government of Armenia, take an oath with the following content:
Uniforms
Decrees passed in October 2002 and April 2003 set the rules for police officers' uniforms.
Weapons
Police personnel are armed primarily with Soviet-made firearms and ammunition, including
Makarov PM
The Makarov pistol or PM ( rus, Пистоле́т Мака́рова, r=Pistolét Makárova, p=pʲɪstɐˈlʲet mɐˈkarəvə, t=Makarov's Pistol) is a Soviet semi-automatic pistol. Under the project leadership of Nikolay Fyodorovich Makarov, it ...
and
Tokarev TT-33
The TT-30,, "7.62 mm Tokarev self-loading pistol model 1930", TT stands for Tula-Tokarev) commonly known simply as the Tokarev, is an out-of-production Soviet semi-automatic pistol. It was developed in 1930 by Fedor Tokarev as a service pisto ...
handguns, and AKS,
AKM
The AKM () is an assault rifle designed by Soviet small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1959. It is the most ubiquitous rifle of the Kalashnikov rifles. It was developed as a replacement to the AK-47 introduced a decade prior.
Introduc ...
, and
AK-74
The AK-74 (Russian: , tr. ''Avtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1974 goda'', lit. 'Kalashnikov assault rifle model 1974) is an assault rifle designed by small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1974. While primarily associated with the Soviet U ...
automatic rifle
An automatic rifle is a type of autoloading rifle that is capable of fully automatic fire. Automatic rifles are generally select-fire weapons capable of firing in semi-automatic and automatic firing modes (some automatic rifles are capable of ...
s.
Police Workers Day
Celebrated on 16 April, Police Workers Day ( hy, Ոստիկանության օր) in
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
commemorates personnel of the Police Central Body and the Police Troops. It was first celebrated in 2002 and was introduced year earlier by the
National Assembly of Armenia
The National Assembly of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի Հանրապետության Ազգային ժողով, ''Hayastani Hanrapetyut'yan Azgayin zhoghov'' or simply Ազգային ժողով, ԱԺ ''Azgayin Zhoghov'', ''AZh''), also infor ...
. Traditionally, the
President of Armenia
The president of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի Նախագահ, Hayastani Nakhagah) is the head of state and the guarantor of independence and territorial integrity of Armenia elected to a single seven-year term by the National Assembly of Arme ...
and/or the
Prime Minister of Armenia
The prime minister of Armenia is the head of government and most senior minister within the Government of Armenia, Armenian government, and is required by the constitution to "determine the main directions of policy of the Government, manage the ...
receives the salute at a ceremony in the
Yerevan
Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Y ...
police headquarters.
Ranks
Police ranks are classified into the following groups:
* Higher ranks
** Colonel General of Police
** Lieutenant General of Police
** Major General of Police
* Chief ranks
** Police Colonel
* Senior ranks
** Police Lieutenant Colonel
* Subaltern ranks
** Police Major
** Police Captain
** Senior Police Lieutenant
** Police Lieutenant
* Junior ranks
** Senior Police NCO
** Police NCO
** Police Starshina
** Senior Police Sergeant
** Police Sergeant
** Junior Police Sergeant
Education
The Police Academy of Armenia, is the successor to the Secondary School of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which was founded in 1984. During the Soviet era, the Yerevan Higher School of the Ministry of Internal Affairs operated in the country.
Equipment
Small arms
Armenian Police Vehicles
See also
*
Crime in Armenia
Crime in Armenia is multi-dimensional. It includes murder, tax evasion, corruption, extortion, money laundering, police brutality, organized crime, and clan or gang violence.
In 2017, there were 20,284 criminal cases registered in Armenia, up ...
*
Law of Armenia
Armenian law ( hy, Հայ իրավունք), that being the modern Legal system of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի իրավական համակարգ), is a system of law acted in Armenia.
History of law in Armenia
The modern legal system of Arm ...
*
Ministry of Justice (Armenia)
The Ministry of Justice of Armenia ('' hy, Հայաստանի արդարադատության նախարարություն'') is an Armenian government agency which possesses executive authority and executes policies of the Government of Armenia i ...
*
National Security Service (Armenia)
National Security Service of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի Ազգային Անվտանգության Ծառայություն, translit=Hayastani Azgayin Anvtangut’yan Tsarrayut’yun) is a state agency of Armenia, responsible for national s ...
*
Prosecutor General of Armenia
The Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia () is a government agency tasked for supervising the public procurator system in Armenia, exercising its authority through the Prosecutor General of Armenia. It oversees the enforcement of Armenian law by ...
References
Links
Official WebsitePOLICE RA Vostikanutyunon
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
* Performances of the Police Band i
2017an
2018The Police Honour Guard
{{police
National Central Bureaus of Interpol
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
Law enforcement in Armenia
Government agencies of Armenia