Municipal police, city police, or local police are law enforcement agencies that are under the control of local government. This includes the municipal government, where it is the smallest administrative subdivision. They receive funding from the city budget, and may have fewer legal powers than the "state paid" police. These police forces usually report to a mayor or a local police board.
Historical development Historically, the role of the municipal police of local civic protection was carried out by watchmen. Today, some formations of municipal police still carry the name of the city/communal/municipal guard.
Municipal police by country Country English name Native name(s) Albania Municipal Police AlgeriaMunicipal Guards Argentina Buenos Aires City Police Austria Municipal police Australia Council ranger Belgium Local Police Brazil Municipal Guards Canada Municipal and regional police services (criminal and administrative offences) and bylaw enforcement officers (administrative offences)ChileMunicipal Guards Spanish: Guardias Municipales ChinaMunicipal Public Security BureauChinese: 市公安局 Czech Republic Municipal Police EstoniaMunicipal Police France Municipal Police Germany City Police
Ortspolizeibehörde Bremerhaven: unique municipal police with detective branch Greece Municipal Police HungaryLocal Governmental Law Enforcement IndiaCity Police Indonesia Municipal Police (Indonesia) Italy Municipal Police KazakhstanLocal Police Was created in 2015 with responsibilities for local beat policing, handling juvenile delinquency, preventing violence against women, road patrolling, environmental protection and non-pre-trial detention facilities. It was abolished in 2018 with these responsibilities returned to provincial police departments. LatviaMunicipal Police Lithuania Public Order Division MaltaLocal Enforcement Systems Agency (LESA) Mexico Municipal Police Namibia Windhoek Police NetherlandsMunicipal Enforcement Have some limited police powers like the use of (limited)force, handcuffs, detaining etc. (some have more powers than others) Poland City Guard (in urban gminas, including cities with powiat rights, and urban-rural gminas), Straż gminna (in rural gminas) PortugalMunicipal Police Romania Local Police Serbia Communal Militia SlovakiaCity/Municipal Police SloveniaCommunal Police South KoreaMunicipal Police of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Spain Municipal Police South Africa Municipal Police Switzerland Municipal Police TunisiaMunicipal Police Turkey Municipal Police UkraineMunicipal guard United States Municipal police departmentsVietnam Municipal police of Ha Noi City, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong City, Da Nang City and Can Tho City
See also Code enforcement County police Garde champêtre Gemeindepolizei (Nazi Germany) Guardia Urbana Metropolitan police Police area Provincial police (Italy)
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