The Public Security Service or VST ( lt, Viešojo saugumo tarnyba) is a
Lithuanian
law enforcement agency under the
Ministry of the Interior
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"
* Ministr ...
. It is primarily involved in restoring the public order and serving as the main
riot police
Riot police are police who are organized, deployed, trained or equipped to confront crowds, protests or riots.
Riot police may be regular police who act in the role of riot police in particular situations or they may be separate units organize ...
force equipped for
riot control
Riot control measures are used by law enforcement, military, paramilitary or security forces to control, disperse, and arrest people who are involved in a riot, unlawful demonstration or unlawful protest.
If a riot is spontaneous and irratio ...
.
VST is a partner of the
European Gendarmerie Force
The European Gendarmerie Force (EUROGENDFOR) is an operational, pre-organised, and rapidly deployable intervention force, exclusively comprising elements of several European police forces with military status of the Parties in order to perform all ...
.
History
The origins of the special purpose law enforcement can be traced back to the armed formations of the
Lithuanian Tribunal
The Lithuanian Tribunal (; pl, Trybunał Główny Wielkiego Księstwa Litewskiego) was the highest appellate court for the nobility of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It was established by King Stephen Báthory in 1581 as the counterpart to the Cr ...
in the 17th century, specifically the
Infantry Company of the Lithuanian Tribunal.
The modern precursor of the institution was the ''Brigade of the Local Army'' ( lt, links=no, Vietinės kariuomenės brigada) established in February 1920, but disbanded a few years later.
The current institution was formed on 18 October 1991 and was known as the ''Internal Service Unit'' ( lt, links=no, Vidaus tarnyba) until 2002 when, following its reorganization, it was renamed to the Public Security Service.
The institution is regulated by the ''Law on the Public Security Service 2006''.
Equipment
Some of the VST equipment includes
:
*
Volkswagen Crafter
The Volkswagen Crafter, introduced in 2006, is the largest three- to five-ton van produced and sold by the German automaker Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. The Crafter officially replaced the Volkswagen Transporter LT that was launched in 1975, ...
vans,
Iveco EuroCargo
The Iveco EuroCargo is a range of medium-duty trucks produced by the Italian manufacturer Iveco since 1991. The EuroCargo replaced the Zeta model produced in the 1970s.
First generation (1991-2002)
The first generation was designed by Giorgett ...
and
Mercedes-Benz Atego
The Mercedes-Benz Atego is a range of general-purpose rigid trucks introduced by Daimler Truck in 1998. A new model was introduced in 2004, followed by a facelift in 2010 and another new model in 2013.
The latest version is available in gross veh ...
transporters (used for
convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...
and
prisoner transport)
*
Ford F550
The Ford Super Duty (short for F-Series Super Duty) is a series of heavy-duty pickup trucks produced by the Ford Motor Company since the 1999 model year. Slotted above the consumer-oriented Ford F-150, the Super Duty trucks are an expansion of ...
armored cars and
IAG Guardian armoured personnel carriers
See also
*
European Gendarmerie Force
The European Gendarmerie Force (EUROGENDFOR) is an operational, pre-organised, and rapidly deployable intervention force, exclusively comprising elements of several European police forces with military status of the Parties in order to perform all ...
*
Mobile field force
*
Riot police
Riot police are police who are organized, deployed, trained or equipped to confront crowds, protests or riots.
Riot police may be regular police who act in the role of riot police in particular situations or they may be separate units organize ...
References
External links
Official site
{{Lithuania topics
Government agencies established in 1997
Specialist law enforcement agencies of Lithuania
Law enforcement in Lithuania