Cambodia

Policing System
Cambodian Police
History
 1863-1883- Cambodia is under the
French protectorate.
 1884-1945- Before the establishment of
the Cambodia National Police in 1945,
Khmer people with France did the policing
to strengthen security and social order.
 1884-Phnom Penh police force was fully
equipped with arms.
1885- Organization of police in Phnom Penh
Port to improve the inspection of ships
coming through the port.
1896- Promulgation of the law on Sanitary
Police, the law which was used in France
since 1822.
1897- Issuance of a regulation on Maritime
Sanitary Police.
1897- Issuance of a regulation on
Maritime Sanitary Police.
1905- Cambodian Maritime Police were
established.
1912- River Police Brigade was
established.
1925- Establishment of commune Patrols
or Rural Police.
 1931
1. Establishment of Provincial Patrols or Provincial Police.
2. Phnom Penh-Battambang Railway Police was established to suppress
crime and protect individual property as well as maintain the order along
the railway.
 1945- The birth of the Cambodian National Police on May 16, 1945.
A Decree made by Cambodia King Norodom Sihakmoni setting May 16,
1945 as the birth of the Cambodian National Police. He made the
decree on August 8, 2006.
 1953- France transferred police institution to the Royal Government of
Cambodia on August 29, 1953 before gaining full Independence on
November 9, 1953.
Cambodia is a member of Interpol since April 1, 1956.

Cambodia joined Aseanapol in the year 2000.

Cambodia National Police Vision

- Safer Cambodia Together

Cambodia National Police Mission

-Working together to serve and protect the people.
Cambodia National Police Values
1. Honesty
2. Integrity
3. Just and Fair within the law
4. Transparent and Responsible
5. Building relationship with communities
6. Respect the different needs of the people
7. Protecting rights, equality and human dignity
 Law enforcement in Cambodia is handled by the
Cambodian National Police, one of three General
Departments within the Ministry of the Interior. The
National Police numbers 64,000 and is divided into four
autonomous units and five central departments. The
National Police share significant functional overlap with
the Military Police (officially the National Gendarmerie),
which functions within the Ministry of Defense.
Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior
It is in charge of the Cambodian National Police and
other law enforcement administrations, including police
training units, the judicial police, drug units, border police
and prisons.
Cambodia Minister of Interior Organization
1. Minister of Interior
2. Six Secretaries of State
3. Four Under Secretaries of State
 National police
The General Department of the National Police is one of
three general departments within the Ministry of the Interior. The
others are the General Inspectorate for Political, Administrative
and Police Affairs and the General Department of Administration.
The ministry is headed by deputy prime minister Sar Kheng and
the National Police by a Commissioner-General with the rank of
four-star general. (The current Commissioner-General is Neth
Savoeun, a nephew by marriage of prime minister Hun Sen;
according to a US embassy, he has a good reputation with the
embassy).
 The Cambodian National Police is divided into four
autonomous units, headed collectively by the First Deputy
Director of National Police, and five central departments, each
managed by a Chief of Department and Deputy Director:
Four autonomous units:
 Interpol unit
 Headquarters unit
 Intervention unit
 Drug Enforcement unit
Five central departments:
 Department of Border Control
The border police department is divided into
three sub-departments:
 Land border
 Marine border
 Logistics and technic
 Public Order department
 Social security
 Defense

 Administration

 Public order
 Department of Justice
While the judicial police (the department in charge of most
forms of criminal law enforcement) are meant to function under
the prosecutor-general's office, they receive orders from the
national police commander, meaning prosecutors lack control
over the judicial police department. The judicial police force is
divided into three sub-departments:
 Criminal police
 Economic police
 Scientific and technical
 Security department
The security police department is divided
into four sub-departments:
 General information
 Anti-terrorism police
 Body-guards

 Foreigners
Central Department of Means (support
office)
Personnel

Pedagogy and training

Logistics and material
 Military Police
(Royal Gendarmerie)
 The Military Police (Royal Gendarmerie) is a branch of the
Royal Cambodian Armed Forces. The Gendarmerie consists of 10
battalion-sized units, each between 500-1000 officers. It has a
strength of more than 7,000 deployed in all provinces, with
headquarters in Phnom Penh. The current commander is
Lieutenant-General Sao Sokha, a former bodyguard and personal
advisor to prime minister Hun Sen. The Gendarmerie monitors all
24 provinces. The unit includes a mobile team, consisting of six
intervention units, an intervention vehicle battalion, a cavalry, and
4 infantry, with bases in Phnom Penh. The Gendarmerie training
school is located in Kambol commune, Kandal province.
 Duties
The Royal Gendarmerie is responsible for the maintenance of public order and
internal security, including:
 Restoring peace and stability after a heavy disturbance
 Counter-terrorism
 Countering violent groups
 Suppressing prison riots
Its civil duties include providing security and public peace, investigating and
preventing organized crime, terrorism and other violent groups; protecting state and
private property; helping and assisting civilians and other emergency forces in a case of
emergency, natural disaster, civil unrest and armed conflicts. These functions overlap
between the Gendarmerie and the national police.
 Its military duties include preserving and
protecting national security, state, property, public
peace, and public order, and assisting other
security forces in case of emergency, civil unrest,
war; repressing riots; reinforcing martial law and
mobilization; fighting and apprehending suspected
criminals, terrorists and other violent groups.
Cambodian Police Academy

The Royal Krom dated October 6, 1959 established the Royal

Police Academy under the Ministry of National Security. One of the
responsibilities of the Royal Police Academy was to train new
recruits of high-ranking level, and provide a proficiency course to
the existing staff on laws, procedure and police professionalism so
that they could hold and perform their duties effectively.

The Royal Police Academy was changed to the Royal Police School.
Trainees from the school included inspectors and officers.
The Cambodian Police Chief is called
Commissioner-General.

Commissioner-General
The head of the Cambodia National
Police. He holds the rank of a 4 star
General.
Cambodian Police Ranking System (From Highest to Lowest Rank)
- Commissioner General
- Lieutenant General
- Major General
- Brigadier General
- Colonel
- Lieutenant Colonel
- Major
- Captain
- 1st Lieutenant
- 2nd Lieutenant
- Chief Warrant Officer
- Warrant Officer
- Sergeant Major
- First Sergeant
- Staff Sergeant
Cambodian Police Salary
Police Staff Sergeant typically receives
about 118 US Dollar a month in salary.
Aside from the monthly salary, the staff
sergeant also receives a monthly ration of
rice.
 Uniform
in Cambodia