Police of Denmark
Encyclopedia
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
of Denmark (da: Politiet) is the interior part of the Danish legitimate force providers (the Danish military
Forsvaret
Forsvaret may refer to:* The native name of the Danish Defence, the military of Denmark* The native name of the Norwegian Armed Forces, the military of Norway...
being the exterior). The police are empowered to enforce the law and to effect public and social order.
Organisation
The common police of Denmark consists of 12 districts each managed by a director and two minor districts in GreenlandGreenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
and the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
, run by a local chief of police.
The district of Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
is somewhat differently organized due to its size and tasks.
Besides the regular districts other organisations exist that work outside the common police:
- RigspolitietRigspolitietRigspolitiet is the state national police force of Denmark. Administered by a framework of laws dictated by the Folketing and the government's Minister for Justice, Rigspolitiet polices all regions governed by Denmark, including the Faroe Islands and Greenland.-Leadership:Rigspolitiet is...
- a nationwide police force with specialized tasks such as Budgets and Accounts, Building Surveying Department and the Data Investigating Department - Politiets EfterretningstjenestePolitiets EfterretningstjenestePolitiets Efterretningstjeneste is the national security intelligence agency of Denmark...
- the national security intelligence agency of Denmark - Politiets AktionsstyrkePolitiets AktionsstyrkePolitiets Aktionsstyrke is the special forces unit of the Danish police.AKS is a national SWAT unit. It is meant to handle extraordinarily difficult or life-threatening criminal situations, such as terrorism, hostage situations, and kidnapping. It also deals with emergency rescue situations that...
- the special forces unit of the Danish police
Uniform
The common uniform is a light blue shirt with the police insignia on the sleeve. Usually a tie is also worn. Rank-insignia is worn on the shoulders. The pants are dark blue with reflective patches. Black shoes are also included in the standard uniform. Special tactical suits are made of flame-resistant materials and are worn in situations requiring such equipment. The tactical suit also includes a protected helmet.Vehicles
For the daily duties, the patrol-vehicles are white and dog-patrols are mostly dark blue. They have a blue strobe-light or flashing light and the word "POLITI" painted on the side in a reflective and clear paint. The most commonly used patrol vehicles are Ford MondeoFord Mondeo
The Mondeo was launched on 8 January 1993, and sales began on 22 March 1993. Available as a four-door saloon, a five-door hatchback, and a five-door estate, all models for the European market were produced at Ford's plant in the Belgian city of Genk...
, Volkswagen Passat
Volkswagen Passat
The Volkswagen Passat is a large family car marketed by Volkswagen Passenger Cars through six design generations since 1973. Between the Volkswagen Golf / Volkswagen Jetta and the Volkswagen Phaeton in the current Volkswagen line-up, the Passat and its derivatives have been badged variously as...
and Opel Vectra
Opel Vectra
The Opel Vectra is a large family car that was engineered and produced by Opel. In the United Kingdom, the car was sold under the Vauxhall marque as the Vauxhall Cavalier and later as the Vauxhall Vectra, from 1995 onwards...
, with 2.0 to 2.2 litre engines. In 2009, the 3.6 litre Škoda Superb
Škoda Superb
The Škoda Superb is a large family car primarily built by the Czech car manufacturer Škoda Auto as its flagship car. The versions produced from 2001 to 2008 are based on the platform of the Volkswagen Passat, but are elongated by , and shares its major mechanicals and powertrain with the Passat,...
was added to the fleet. Unmarked cars are usually fitted with engines with a size of around 1.6 to 2.2 litre. Besides a large number of small unmarked cars are used like Peugeot 307
Peugeot 307
The Peugeot 307 is a small family car produced by the French Peugeot manufacturer since 2001. It was awarded the European Car of the Year title for 2002, and continues to be offered in China and certain South American markets through 2009 despite the French launch of the 308 in September...
, Opel Astra
Opel Astra
The Opel Astra is a small family car engineered and manufactured by the German automaker Opel since 1991.It is branded as Vauxhall Astra in the United Kingdom, the Buick Excelle XT in China and the Chevrolet Astra/Vectra in Latin America...
, Ford Focus and Toyota Yaris - with engine size of around 1.2 to 1.6 litre. The Peugeot 607
Peugeot 607
The Peugeot 607 was an executive car produced by the French automaker Peugeot from September 1999 to June 2010.The 607, along with the smaller 407, was superseded by the 508 in early 2011.-History:...
is used as a security attachment for cabinet members and the royal court. Toyota Landcruiser and VW Touareg are used for special tasks. Small detachments typically use VW Transporters
Volkswagen Transporter
The Volkswagen Transporter, based on the Volkswagen Group's T platform, now in its fifth generation, refers to a series of vans produced over 60 years and marketed worldwide....
, while VW LTs
Volkswagen LT
The Volkswagen LT was the largest light commercial vehicle panel van produced by Volkswagen from 1975 to 2006...
and Ford Transit
Ford Transit
The Ford Transit is a range of panel vans, minibuses, and pickup trucks, produced by the Ford Motor Company in Europe.The Transit has been the best-selling light commercial vehicle in Europe for 40 years, and in some countries the term "Transit" has passed into common usage as a generic term...
mini-buses are used in larger operations, which require a lot of manpower (demonstrations, soccer-matches and larger civil obediences). In extreme events, a variation of the MB Vario
Mercedes-Benz Vario
The Mercedes-Benz Vario is a heavy van manufactured by Mercedes-Benz. Originally launched as the T2 in 1986, the Vario gained its current name when it was facelifted in 1996. The T2 van itself succeeded the Mercedes-Benz L van series.The bodyshell remained relatively unchanged since production...
is used. It's generally known as the Dutchman's vehicle (in Danish Hollændervogn). This name derives from the fact that these vehicles are fitted in the Netherlands as light APC's
Armoured personnel carrier
An armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars...
with enforced sides and fire-resistant coating. They are used both as light APCs in events of demonstrations or public disturbances and as general transportation of large numbers of arrestees.
Other vehicles in use are the Mercedes-Benz Vito
Mercedes-Benz Vito
The Mercedes-Benz Vito is a light van produced by Mercedes-Benz in the Basque town of Vitoria, Spain. From the name of the city Vitoria came the name Vito. The name was also derived from an exemplary, long-standing employee, Vito Rosenstein...
(used by both Central Turnout Leaders, a kind of on-street watch commanders) and Nissan Patrol
Nissan Patrol
The Nissan Patrol is a four-wheel drive vehicle manufactured by Nissan in Japan since 1951. In Japan since 1980, it has been known as the Nissan Safari. The Patrol is available in Australasia, Central and South America, South Africa, parts of Southeast Asia and Western Europe as well as Iran and...
s used by the mounted police squads with a horse carrier attached.
The traffic police also use civil vans for automatic traffic control. These are usually VW Transporters, Mercedes Benz Vitos, Toyota Hiace
Toyota Hiace
The Toyota HiAce is a motor vehicle produced by the Japanese manufacturer Toyota. First launched in 1967, the HiAce has since been available in a wide range of configurations, including minivan and minibus, van, pick-up, taxi, and ambulance....
s and several others.
Certain rural police officers use civilian vehicles with a dismountable magnet roof flash.
For traffic regulation and escorting VIPs Yamaha FJR1300A
Yamaha FJR1300
The Yamaha FJR1300 is the Yamaha Motor Company's largest sport touring motorcycle, currently in production as the FJR1300A and FJR1300AS .-History:...
, Honda ST1300
Honda ST1300
The Honda ST1300, also known as the Pan-European, is a sport touring motorcycle manufactured by Honda and introduced to Europe in 2002. The following year, it was released in North America as the ST1300....
A motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
s are used, K1200RS and BMW K1200GT
BMW K1200GT
The BMW K1200GT is a sport-touring motorcycle made by BMW. The second generation K1200GT, introduced in 2006, uses essentially the same inline-4 engine as the BMW K1200S sportbike, which held the world speed record in 2005 for its class at 173.57 mph ,and the K1200R...
are mainly used (slowly replacing old BMW K1100LT and BMW R1100RT).
Weapons
The standard service handgun is the H&K USP CompactHeckler & Koch USP
The USP is a semi-automatic pistol developed in Germany by Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar as a replacement for the P7 series of handguns.-History:...
9mm pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
. For special tasks the H&K MP5
Heckler & Koch MP5
The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar....
sub-machine gun is used. Officers are also equipped with batons and pepper spray cans.
Law about police enforcement
The operation of DanishDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
is regulated in the Act on Police Enforcement (da: Lov om politiets virksomhed), commonly known as The Police Act (da: politiloven) of 9 July 2004.
This act took effect on 1 August 2004, and its first section states that:
"The police must work to ensure security, safety, peace and order in society. The police must promote this purpose through preventive, helping and enforcing work."
The second section states that other areas of police jurisdiction include:
- preventing criminal actions, disturbances of the public peace and order and danger to individual citizens and public safety
- stopping criminal actions and investigating and prosecuting criminal actions
- supporting citizens in dangerous situations
- checking and inspecting under current rules and regulations
- supporting other agencies under current rules and regulations
- performing other tasks under current rules and regulations, as well as handling other tasks which are naturally associated with police duties.
Lastly, the third section states:
"The police may in other situations than those mentioned in statutory law only interfere with citizens under this Act."
Military police
The military police (MP) in Denmark are police units within the armed forces branches. Each branch has its own MP corps, although they often work together and wear similar insignias.MP personnel typically wear either specific display dress uniforms with white MP shoulder markings or the branch-common daily battle dress uniforms
Battle Dress Uniform
The Battle Dress Uniform were the fatigues that the armed forces of the United States used as their standard uniform for combat situations from September 1981 to April 2005. Since then, it has been replaced in every branch of the U.S. military. Only the U.S. Navy currently authorizes wear of the...
with a red beret
Beret
A beret is a soft, round, flat-crowned hat, designated a "cap", usually of woven, hand-knitted wool, crocheted cotton, or wool felt, or acrylic fiber....
.
MP personnel generally do not have any legal authority towards civilians in non-military places, but only towards military personnel as towards everyone on military installations (also publicly accessible places such as the Holmen naval base
Holmen naval base
Naval Station Holmen is one of several naval stations of the Royal Danish Navy, supplementing the two Danish naval bases in Frederikshavn and Korsør....
in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
), in the buildings housing the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (Denmark)
The Ministry of Defence of Denmark is a ministry in the Danish government. It is charged with overall planning, development, and strategic guidance of the entire area of responsibility of the Danish Defence minister, including the armed forces and the emergency management sector...
, royal palaces (like Amalienborg Palace
Amalienborg Palace
Amalienborg Palace is the winter home of the Danish royal family, and is located in Copenhagen, Denmark. It consists of four identical classicizing palace façades with rococo interiors around an octagonal courtyard ; in the centre of the square is a monumental equestrian statue of Amalienborg's...
) and parts of Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace, , on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, is the seat of the Folketing , the Danish Prime Minister's Office and the Danish Supreme Court...
. On some occasions, MP personnel can provide support to the civilian police for certain tasks, but will only have slightly more legal authority than civilians, similar to the police home guard.
Police Home Guard
The Danish police can call upon assistance from a section of the Danish home guardDanish Home Guard
The Danish Home Guard is the fourth service of the Danish military, formerly concerned only with the defence of Danish territory, but since 2008, it has also participated in forward operating base guard duties in Afghanistan. Service is voluntary and unpaid, except that the most basic expenses...
: the police home guard. The police home guard consists of 47 companies, each led by professional police officers.
The volunteers are mainly used for traffic control at festival
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
s, searches for victims
Missing person
A missing person is a person who has disappeared for usually unknown reasons.Missing persons' photographs may be posted on bulletin boards, milk cartons, postcards, and websites, along with a phone number to be contacted if a sighting has been made....
and guarding community installations and are never used in tasks involving direct confrontation with civilians (riot control
Riot control
Riot control refers to the measures used by police, military, or other security forces to control, disperse, and arrest civilians who are involved in a riot, demonstration, or protest. Law enforcement officers or soldiers have long used non-lethal weapons such as batons and whips to disperse crowds...
or planned arrest
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
s). These companies are part of the Army Home Guard.
They wear branch-common daily battle dress uniforms, green berets and bright yellow vests with the text "POLITI HJEMMEVÆRNET" (POLICE HOME GUARD).
Members of the police home guard have slightly more legal authority than regular citizens when the service they provide calls for it, but they are always under the supervision of the civilian police.
External links
- Official website of the Danish police
- A gallery of Danish police vehicles is available on Wikimedia Commons.