National Police Corps (Spain)

This article is about the National Police Corps in Spain. For police in other countries, see National police (disambiguation).

The National Police Corps (Spanish: Cuerpo Nacional de Policía, CNP; [ˈkweɾpo naθjoˈnal de poliˈθi.a]; also known simply as the National Police, Policía Nacional)^[1] is the national civilian police force of Spain. The CNP is mainly responsible for policing urban areas, whilst rural policing is generally the responsibility of the Civil Guard, the Spanish national gendarmerie force. The CNP operates under the authority of Spain's Ministry of the Interior. They mostly handle criminal investigation, judicial, terrorism and immigration matters. The powers of the National Police Corps varies according to the autonomous community. For example, the Ertzaintza and the Mossos d'Esquadra are the primary police agencies in the Basque Country and Catalonia, respectively. In Navarre they share some duties jointly with Policía Foral (Foruzaingoa).

National Police Corps Cuerpo Nacional de Policía
Seal of the National Police Corps of Spain
Badge of the National Police Corps of Spain
Flag of the National Police Corps of Spain
Common name	Policía Nacional
Abbreviation	CNP
Motto	"Servicio, Dignidad, Entrega, Lealtad" "Service, Dignity, Dedication, Loyalty"
Agency overview
Formed	3 August 1939 (as Armed Police Corps) 4 December 1978 (formation of current service) 13 March 1986 (current law)
Preceding agencies	Cuerpo Superior de Policía Cuerpo de Policía Armada
Jurisdictional structure
National agency (Operations jurisdiction)	Spain
Operations jurisdiction	Spain
Population	47,435,597
Legal jurisdiction	As per operations jurisdiction
Governing body	Government of Spain
Constituting instruments	Spanish Constitution of 1978 Organic Act 2/1986
General nature	Civilian police
Operational structure
Overseen by	Directorate-General of the Police
Headquarters	Calle Miguel Ángel, 5, 28039 Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain
Officers	74,458 in service (2023)
Minister responsible	Fernando Grande-Marlaska
Agency executive	Francisco Pardo Piqueras, Director-General
Notables
Anniversary	October 2
Award	Order of Police Merit
Website
www.policia.es

History

The 1986 organic law unifying the separate uniformed and plainclothes branches of the national police was a major reform that required a considerable period of time to be brought into full effect. The former plainclothes service, known as the Superior Police Corps (Cuerpo Superior de Policía), but often referred to as the "secret police", formerly the General Police Corps (Cuerpo General de Policía), consisted of some 9,000 officers. Prior to 1986, it had a supervisory and coordinating role in police operations, conducted domestic surveillance, collected intelligence, investigated major crimes, issued identity documents, and carried out liaison with foreign police forces.^[2]

The uniformed service, the Armed Police Corps (Cuerpo de Policía Armada) which became the basis of the current National Police in 1978, was a completely separate organization with a complement of about 50,000 officers, including a small number of female recruits who were first accepted for training in 1984. The Director General of the National Police Corps, a senior official of the Ministry of Interior, commanded 13 regional headquarters, 50 provincial offices, and about 190 municipal police stations. In the nine largest cities, several district police stations served separate sections of the city. The chief of police of each station was in command of both the uniformed and the plainclothes officers attached to the station. A centrally controlled Special Operations Group (Grupo Especial de Operaciones—GEO) was an elite fighting unit trained to deal with terrorist and hostage situations.^[2]

The principal weapons regularly used by the uniformed police were 9mm pistols, 9mm submachine guns, CETME and NATO 7.62mm rifles, and various forms of riot equipment. Their original uniform consisted of light brown trousers and dark brown jackets.^[2]

The initial training phase for recruits to the National Police Corps was nine months, followed by a year of practical training. Promotions to corporal, sergeant, and sergeant major were based on seniority, additional training, and performance. In the Franco era, most police officers were seconded from the Spanish Army (with some from the Civil Guard). Under a 1978 law, future police officers were to receive separate training, and army officers detailed to the police were to be permanently transferred. By 1986 only 170 army officers remained in the National Police Corps. Under the 1986 organic law, military-type training for police was to be terminated, and all candidate officers were to attend the Higher Police School at Ávila, which previously had served as the three-year training center for the Superior Police Corps. The ranks of the plainclothes corps—commissioners, subcommissioners, and inspectors of first, second, and third class—were to be assimilated into the ranking system of the uniformed police—colonel, lieutenant colonel, major, captain, and lieutenant. Two lower categories—subinspection and basic—would include all nonofficer uniformed personnel. The newly unified National Police Corps was to be responsible for issuing identity cards and passports, as well as for immigration and deportation controls, refugees, extradition, deportation, gambling controls, drugs, and supervision of private security forces.^[2]

Franco's Policía Armada had once been dreaded as one of the most familiar symbols of the regime's oppressiveness. During the 1980s, however, the police underwent an internal transformation process, being brought to adopt the new democratic spirit of the times. The police supported the legally constituted government during the 1981 coup attempt. Led by the new police trade union, the police demonstrated in 1985 against right-wing militants in their ranks and cooperated in efforts to punish misconduct and abuses of civil rights by individual officers.^[2]

The current sidearm is the Heckler & Koch USP Compact 9×19mm.

Duties

Duties are regulated by the Organic law 2/1986 of March 13, 1986.

1. The issuing of identity documents (e.g., national ID cards and passports).
2. To control the arrival and departure of foreign and Spanish citizens.
3. Immigration law, refuge and asylum, extradition and expulsion.
4. Gambling enforcement
5. Drug enforcement
6. Collaboration with Interpol and Europol.
7. Control of private security companies.
8. General law enforcement and criminal investigation.

Access and training

Requirements

• Be born or a naturalized Spanish citizen
• Be over 18 years of age.
• Be at least 1.65 metres (5 ft 5 in) tall, for men, and 1.60 metres (5 ft 3 in) for women
• Not have been convicted of fraud or dismissed by a local, regional or national government, or prevented from holding public functions.
• Hold a driving licence of the class specified by the government.

Basic Scale:

• Have or to be in conditions to obtain the Certificate of Bachillerato or equivalent.

Executive Scale:

• Have a Technical Engineer, Technical Architect, Qualified University student or equivalent or top formation degree.

Competitive examination

The applicant can choose between a Basic Scale career or an Executive Scale career. Applicants must pass the following basic tests before starting the academy:

• Physical test
• Multiple-choice exam
• Aptitude test
• Voluntary language test (English or French)
• Medical examination
• Interview

Training academy

Ávila Police Academy

If the applicant has been chosen, they will receive professional training at the police academy in Ávila for nine months. Whilst trainees reside at the academy, they learn about Spanish law, receive firearms and self-defense training, conduct practical application exercises, learn the basics of the English or French languages and undergo training in crime investigation. Finally, the pupil will receive a policing practice for a year, in which there will be various common situations that will form him as an agent.

Ranks

Spanish Policia Nacional wordmark (as seen on uniforms and vehicles).

From 1979 to 1986 the Police sported a military rank system, a holdover of the old Armed Police.

Above the cadet ranks (there are five cadet ranks), the current ranks are:

• 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, and 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

Rank insignia

Categories	Superior Grades				Superior		Executive		Deputy Inspector	Basic		Student
Spain
	Director Adjunto Operativo (DAO)	Subdirector General	Comisario General/Jefe de División	Jefe Superior	Comisario Principal	Comisario	Inspector Jefe	Inspector	Subinspector	Oficial de Policía	Policía	Inspector Alumno en Prácticas	Inspector Alumno de 2º año	Inspector Alumno de 1º año	Policía en Prácticas	Policía Alumno

Rank insignia 1986–2014

Categories	Superior Grades			Superior		Executive		Deputy Inspector	Basic		Student
Spain
	DAO/Subdirector General	Comisario General/Jefe de División	Jefe Superior	Comisario Principal	Comisario	Inspector Jefe	Inspector	Subinspector	Oficial de Policía	Policía	Inspector Alumno de 2º año	Inspector Alumno de 1º año	Policía en Prácticas

Superior	Executive	Deputy Inspector	Basic

Uniforms

CNP Uniforms
Service uniform SC	riot police UPR	riot police UIP	Tactical unit GOES	Tactical unit GEO	Bomb disposal TEDAX	Dress uniform	Dress uniform	Dress uniform (female)

CNP Uniforms 1989–2009
Service uniform	Service uniform	UIP/UPR	UIP 2000–2014	GOES 1990–1995

Specialist units

There are numerous specialist units within the CNP:

• GOES (Grupos Operativos Especiales de Seguridad) – police tactical units.
• GEO (Grupo Especial de Operaciones) – elite police tactical unit, equivalent to GSG-9 or FBI HRT.
• TEDAX-NRBQ (Servicio de Desactivación de Explosivos y Nuclear, Radiológico, Bacteriológico y Químico) – Explosive artifacts defuser and CRBN (Chemical, Radiological, Biological, and Nuclear) specialised team.
• UIP (Unidad de Intervención Policial) – Anti-riot unit.
• UPR (Unidad de Prevención y Reacción) – Anti-riot unit.
• UDYCO (Unidad de Drogas Y Crimen Organizado) – Drugs and organised crime investigation squad.
• UDEV (Unidad de Delincuencia Especializada y Violenta) – Investigation and pursuit several kinds of crimes related to artistic and cultural heritage, families.
• BIT (Brigada de Investigación Tecnológica) – Computer crime unit.
• UDEF (Unidad de Delincuencia Económica y Fiscal) – Financial crimes.
• UEGC (Unidad Especial de Guías Caninos) – Canine unit. Drug, explosives and people detection.
• CGPJ (General Commissariat of Judiciary Police) – intelligence unit.
• CGI (General Commissariat of Information) – intelligence and anti-terrorism unit.
• SMA (Servicios de Medios Aéreos).
• USPA (Unidad de Subsuelo y Protección Ambiental).
• TEDAX
• GOIT (Grupo Operativo de Intervenciones Técnicas).
• GOR (Grupo Operativo de Respuesta).
• Unidad Canina – Canine unit

Gallery

• 
  Citroën C4 Picasso
• 
  Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
• 
  Eurocopter EC120
• 
  VAMTAC
• 
  Citroën Jumpy

See also

• Law enforcement in Spain
• Crime in Spain

References

1. Ley Orgánica 9/2015, de 28 de julio, de Régimen de Personal de la Policía Nacional (Ley 9) (in Spanish). 2015.
2. Solsten, Eric; Meditz, Sandra W. (1990). Spain : a country study. Area handbook series. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. Federal Research Division. LCCN 90006127.

• This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Country Studies. Federal Research Division.

External links

• Official website
• Spanish police forces forum The most complete forum about different Spanish police forces.