COMPARATIVE MODELS OF POLICING

Rexiel C. Reniedo
BS CRIMINOLOGY 2A

Mr. Samuel B. Mapacpac

PROFESSOR
ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE OF POLICE FORCE IN SPAIN
Two institutions, both under one Directorate General, are tasked with the
responsibility for policing in Spain: the National Police, a civilian force that
operates mostly in urban areas, and the Guardia Civil (Civil Guard), a
police agency with military nature.
POLICÍA NACIONAL OR CUERPO NACIONAL DE POLICÍA
(THE NATIONAL POLICE CORPS, OR CNP)

FUNCTIONS AND MISSIONS

The Spanish National Police is an armed civil
entity managed by the Directorate General of
Police and Civil Guard, which falls under the
authority of the State Department of Security
in the Ministry of the Interior. It operates in all
the capitals of Spain’s fifty provinces, as well
as others as designated by the national
Government.
Its main functions are to:
- oversee compliance with national laws and criminal justice codes;
 protect lives, personal property and goods;
 safeguard public buildings and facilities and protect Very Important Persons
(VIPs);
 - maintain and/or restore public order and security;
 - prevent crime and prosecute perpetrators;
 - investigate criminal offences, identify and arrest presumed offenders and
preserve criminal evidence;
 - collect and analyze relevant public order and security information;
- co-operate with other institutions in catastrophic or high-risk situations;
- issue Spanish National Identification Cards and Passport and effectuate border
control;
- implement laws related to foreign issues, asylum, refugees, extradition and
migration;
- monitor gambling regulations;
- investigate and prosecute drug offences;
- co-operate with other national and international law enforcement agencies;
- monitor the activities of private security companies.
EDUCATION / TRAINING

There are two possible entry points to join the Spanish National Police: as a
Constable or as a Police Inspector. After successfully passing all selective tests
and interviews in a public examination, those aspiring to be police officers
become Police/Inspector Cadets. Prerequisite is at least a three-year Spanish
university degree. Since the year 2000, an appointment as Police Inspector is
considered equivalent to a University Degree. The University of Salamanca is
tasked with training co-ordination.
RANK CLASSIFICATION OF NATIONAL POLICE
Policía Policeman/policewoman
Oficial de Policía Police Officer
Subinspector Sub-inspector
Inspector Inspector
Inspector Jefe Chief Inspector
Comisario Commissioner
Comisario Principal Principal Commissioner
Jefe Superior Superior Chief
Comisario General Commissioner General
Jefe de División Divisional Chief {equal ranks}
Subdirector General Sub-Director General
Director Adjunto Operativo Assistant Director of Operations
Director General de la Policía Director-General of Police

CIVIL GUARD OR GUARDIA CIVIL

General information

The Spanish Civil Guard is an armed institution of military nature, whose

higher body is the Directorate General of Police and Civil Guard, under the
authority of the State Department of Security in the Ministry of the Interior.

Since its original founding by the Duke of Ahumada in 1844, the Spanish Civil
Guard has served as a force for public order endowed with a structure of military
nature and designed to carry out functions related to crime prevention and
investigation, as well as to the security and protection of lives, personal property
and goods.
FUNCTIONS AND MISSIONS
The Spanish Civil Guard is mandated to:
- guarantee public security and maintain public order throughout the territory
(land, sea and airspace) within its competence;
- carry out surveillance, control and protection of public places and facilities;
- prevent the occurrence of criminal acts;
- provide fiscal protection to the State against smuggling and fraud (e.g. border
police functions, customs, border control, breaking up networks of illegal
immigration);
- ensure orderly traffic circulation and road security on intercity traffic arteries;
- assist, protect and help the civilian population, intervening to mitigate high-risk
circumstances (e.g. natural catastrophes);
- assist the judicial police, judges and tribunals, as well as collaborating with the
public prosecutor in the investigation of crimes, the detention of suspects, police
elaboration of technical reports, and collection and custody of evidence;
- obtain and analyze data of interest for public security, especially in the fight
against terrorism;
- implement the intercity transfer of prisoners, detainees and witnesses; and
 safeguard weapons and explosives.

Structure And Organization

The deployment of the Spanish Civil Guard takes place on four levels, basically
coinciding with the administrative structure of the State, as follows: 2,100 police
stations; 200 companies; 57 provincial headquarters and 17 regional areas.
Education / Training

The senior staff has to pass 5 years of police and military education in the
academies and they receive a university degree as Lieutenants of Guardia
Civil. The basic staff have one-year training in the academy and one-year on-
the-job-training before graduating as “Guardias Civiles”. In all the cases a
selection process with public competition is assured.
RANK CLASSIFICATION OF GUARDIA CIVIL