The Directorate General for National Security (DGSN; , ) is the national civil police force of Algeria. It polices Algeria's larger cities and urban areas. The Sûreté is part of the Ministry of Interior and is charged with maintaining law and order, protecting life and property, investigating crimes, and apprehending offenders. It also performs other routine police functions, including traffic control.
Organization
The DGSN is headed by a Director General and in 2007 consisted of a force of 130,000, including specialist operational and investigative branches and supporting services.
Directors Years Command1962–1962 Mohamed Medjad1962–1963 Mohamed Yousfi 1963–1964 Larbi Tayebi1964–1965 Mohamed El-Ouassini Yadi1965–1977 Ahmed Draïa 1977–1987 El Hadi Khediri1987–1990 Abdelmadjid Bouzbid1990–1991 Bachir Lahrache1991–1994 M’hamed Tolba1994–1995 Mohamed Ouadah1995–2010 Ali Tounsi2010–2018 Abdelghani Hamel2018–2019 Mustapha Lahbiri2019 Abdelkader Kara Bouhadba24 August 2019 – 16 March 2021 Khelifa Ounissi16 March 2021 – 8 January 2024 Farid Ben Zineddine BencheikhSince 8 January 2024 Ali Badaoui
The judicial police branch is responsible for criminal investigations, working in close coordination with the Office of the Public Prosecutor in the Ministry of Justice. Police are assigned to the capitals of the wilayat are under the nominal control of the individual governors. A special riot police force is equipped with modern riot-control gear. Although the police were able to cope with urban disturbances and violence during the early and mid-1980s, the military had to be called in to help quell the severe riots in late 1988.Library of Congress Country Study Algeria
Internal security
Elements of the DGNS nationale also play a role in countering threats to the government arising from political subversion. The Sûreté assigns police contingents to work with customs inspectors at legal points of entry to control illegal activities. Their main concerns are apprehending undesirable immigrants and contraband traffickers. The Département du Renseignement et de la Sécurité (DRS) is the Algerian state intelligence service. It is separate from Directorate General for National Security and was an active player in the Algerian Civil War of the 1990s.Evans and Phillips (2008), passimJeanne Kervyn and François Gèze. L’organisation des forces de répression. Comité Justice pour l'Algérie, Dossier n° 16. September 2004.
Weapons Glock 17 Beretta 92 Caracal pistol Smith & Wesson M&P AKM Beretta M12 HK MP5 SKS Commonly Seen And Used Since Algerian Civil War In The 1990s
Vehicles
Motorcycles
BMW K1100RT BMW R1100RT BMW K1600GT
Cars
Ford Focus Great Wall Hover Iveco Daily Kia Sorento Mercedes-Benz Vito Mercedes-Benz G-Class Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Nissan Patrol Peugeot Rifter Škoda Fabia Škoda Octavia Toyota Land Cruiser Volkswagen Caddy Volkswagen Golf V Volkswagen Polo mk4 Volkswagen Transporter Volkswagen Passat b6/b7/b8
Special vehicles BCL-M5 Nimr (armored personnel carrier)
Aerial equipment AgustaWestland AW109 Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil
See also Sûreté Law enforcement in Algeria Garde communale
References
Notes