Law enforcement in Switzerland
Encyclopedia
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
, who each operate cantonal police
Cantonal police
The Cantonal police are the law enforcement agencies for each of the 26 Swiss Cantons. Law enforcement in Switzerland is mainly a responsibility of the 26 cantons of Switzerland, which each operate cantonal police agencies. Some cities also operate municipal police agencies as provided for by...
agencies. Some cities also operate municipal police agencies as provided for by cantonal law. The federal government
Federal government of Switzerland
The federal government of Switzerland may refer to:* the Swiss Federal Council or* the federal administration of Switzerland....
provides specialised services and is responsible for the protection of the Swiss border. Throughout Switzerland, the police may be reached by the emergency telephone number
Emergency telephone number
Many countries' public telephone networks have a single emergency telephone number, sometimes known as the universal emergency telephone number or occasionally the emergency services number, that allows a caller to contact local emergency services for assistance. The emergency telephone number may...
1-1-7.
Federal
The federal government does not run a general purpose law enforcement agency. National-level law enforcement coordination is provided by a board of cantonal police commanders. The Federal Office of PoliceFederal Office of Police
The Federal Office of Police or fedpol of Switzerland is subject to the Federal Department of Justice and Police. It is responsible for the coordination between cantonal police corps and between Swiss and foreign police forces...
, an organisation belonging to the Federal Department of Justice and Police, coordinates international operations and may request cantonal police support for criminal investigations conducted under federal jurisdiction (such as with respect to organised crime, money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
and terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
). The Office's investigative arm is the Federal Criminal Police, which operates a small special operations unit, Einsatzgruppe TIGRIS
Einsatzgruppe TIGRIS
The Einsatzgruppe TIGRIS is a specialized tactical police unit belonging to the Federal Criminal Police, the investigative arm of the Swiss Federal Office of Police. As of 2009, it consists of 14 officers and is based at the military police base in Worblaufen near Berne...
, whose existence was not made public until 2009.
The Federal Department of Finance
Federal Department of Finance
The Federal Department of Finance ; ; ) is one of the seven departments of the Swiss federal government. The department is headquartered in Bern and is headed by a member of the Swiss Federal Council, Switzerland's finance minister...
is responsible for the Swiss Border Guard Corps
Border Guard Corps
Border Guard Corps are the federal law enforcement agency who act as both the border guard and customs service of Switzerland. It is the uniformed section of the Federal Customs Administration, which is attached to the Federal Department of Finance. The BGC conducts people, vehicle and object...
. The military of Switzerland
Military of Switzerland
The Swiss Armed Forces perform the roles of Switzerland's militia and regular army. Under the country's militia system, professional soldiers constitute about 5 percent of military personnel; the rest are male citizen conscripts 19 to 34 years old...
, led by the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports
Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports
The Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport is one of the seven departments of the Swiss federal government, headed by a member of the Swiss Federal Council.-Organisation:...
, operates a professional military security service and a military police
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
service. These services, as well as the armed forces in general, can be tasked to support the cantonal police forces in situations where civilian police resources are insufficient, such as catastrophes or large-scale unrest. In this case, the military serves under cantonal civilian responsibility and command.
The Swiss Federal Railways operates a railway police service through Securitrans, a joint venture with Securitas AG
Securitas AG
Securitas AG is a Swiss family company providing security services with head office in Zollikofen, regional offices in Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Lugano, Lucerne, Neuchâtel, Olten, St...
. Its agents are uniformed but unarmed, and may detain troublemakers on the Swiss railway network.
Cantonal
The 26 cantonal policeCantonal police
The Cantonal police are the law enforcement agencies for each of the 26 Swiss Cantons. Law enforcement in Switzerland is mainly a responsibility of the 26 cantons of Switzerland, which each operate cantonal police agencies. Some cities also operate municipal police agencies as provided for by...
agencies and numerous municipal police
Municipal police
.Municipal police are law enforcement agencies that are under the control of local government, including the municipal government, where it is the smallest administrative subdivision. They receive pay from the city budget, and usually have fewer rights than the "state paid" police...
agencies are the backbone of Swiss law enforcement. They are not subordinate to federal authorities. Their commanding officers report to the head of the respective cantonal or municipal department of police, who is a member of the cantonal or municipal governing council.
Police training is conducted in cantonal service academies and at the Interkantonale Polizeischule Hitzkirch, a joint police academy of twelve police agencies established in 2007.
Private
Several private security services such as Securitas AGSecuritas AG
Securitas AG is a Swiss family company providing security services with head office in Zollikofen, regional offices in Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Lugano, Lucerne, Neuchâtel, Olten, St...
and Protectas exist in Switzerland. Their agents (except those of the railway police service as noted above) do not have any law enforcement authority, such as the power of arrest
Power of arrest
The power of arrest is a mandate given to certain members of a society by the central authority that allows them to remove a criminal or suspected criminal's liberty. The power of arrest can also be used to protect a person, or persons from harm or to protect damage to property.Arrest usually leads...
, beyond that of ordinary citizens.
Prisons
Switzerland has 124 detention facilities with a total capacity of up to 6,736 detainees, all operated by the Swiss cantons. The smallest prison is the Untersuchungsgefängnis TrogenTrogen
Trogen is a municipality in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden in Switzerland. The town is the seat of the canton's judicial authorities.-History:...
with a capacity of two detainees.