Law enforcement in Spain
Encyclopedia
Law enforcement in Spain is carried out by numerous organizations, not all of which operate in the same areas.
National
- Guardia Civil - Civil Guard
- Policía Nacional - National Police
- Servicio de Vigilancia AduaneraServicio de Vigilancia AduaneraThe Customs Surveillance Service is a Spanish law enforcement agency responsible for the investigation and prosecution of cases involving contraband, illegal drugs, financial evasion and violations, money laundering, surveillance for financial police purposes and the provision of judicial police...
- Customs Service
Regional
- ErtzaintzaErtzaintzaThe Ertzaintza , is the police force of the Basque Country, one of the autonomous communities of Spain. An Ertzaintza member is an ertzaina .- Origins :...
in the Basque CountryBasque Country (autonomous community)The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories.... - Mossos d'EsquadraMossos d'EsquadraThe Mossos d'Esquadra are the police force of Catalonia, one of the autonomous communities of Spain. It is the oldest civil police force in Europe, founded in the 18th century as the Esquadres de Catalunya to protect the people of Catalonia....
in CataloniaCataloniaCatalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an... - Policía ForalPolicía ForalThe Chartered Police of Navarre is the regional police force for the chartered autonomous community of Navarre in Spain. It operates across the region, and was founded from a traffic police unit set up by the Provincial Council of Navarre in 1929....
(Foruzaingoa) in NavarreNavarreNavarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
Local
- Policía MunicipalPolicía MunicipalIn Spanish towns and cities, the Policia Municipal , also known as the Policia Local or Guardia Urbana, is a police force organized at the municipal level....
(also known as Policía Local or Guardia Urbana in some cities) in every town and city of a certain size.
See also
- Crime in SpainCrime in SpainCrime statistics for Spain are published annually by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística. Different agencies of Spain and the European Union conduct analysis of the crime data in Spain. Statistics show Spain is one of the European countries with the lowest crime rate, according to a 2005 Gallop...