Romania
Romanian Police
Romanian Police is the main structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and is the state’s specialized institution designated to defend the fundamental human rights, public and private property, to prevent and detect crime, to preserve public security and order, according to the law. The activity of the Romanian Police is a specialized public service carried out in the best interest of the individual, of the community and in the support of the state institutions, on the sole basis of law enforcement.
The general legal framework regulating the activity of the Romanian Police is the Law no. 218 of 23 April 2002 on the organization and functioning of the Romanian Police. The new Status of the police officer, adopted by the Law no. 360/2002, completes and details the provisions regarding the performance, within the limits and in accordance with the law, of this activity put at the service of the community.
Hence, art.1 of this law states that the police officer is a public civil servant with special status, armed, wearing a uniform and performing the duties established by the law for the Romanian Police, as a specialized state institution.
The provisions related to police activity, sequentially included in other legal texts on the organization and functioning of state institutions, were supplemented with special provisions aiming at combating a specific type of crime.
Special attention has been paid to the amendment and completion of the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code, the protection of the undercover agent, witness and data, the Local Public Administration Law, the Law on Combating Organized Crime, as well as the Law on combating the crimes involving cutting-edge technology.
General Inspectorate of Romanian Police is the central unit of police in Romania, which manages, guides, supports and controls the activity of the Romanian police units, investigates and analyses very serious crimes related to organized crime, economic, financial or banking criminality, or other crimes which make the object of the criminal cases investigated by the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice, and which has any other attributions assigned by law.
The General Inspectorate is under the command of a General Inspector appointed by the Prime Minister and also holds the rank of Secretary of State.
The General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police has the following main duties:
- Coordinates the law enforcement in the public order and security ensuring citizens’ safety, preventing and combating crimes, identifying and counteracting criminal actions threatening the life, freedom, health and bodily integrity of the individual, private and public property, as well as other legitimate interests of the community.
- Cooperates with the specialized institutions and authorities of the public central administration from the National Defense System, Public Order and National Security.
- Cooperates with specialized structures from other states and from international organizations on preventing and combating the trans-border crime and supports the establishment of the international police force.
- Carries out activities of human resources management, as provided by the law.
- Coordinates the cooperation and international activities.
- Coordinates the internal control – management system.
- Ensures representation, at an institutional level, in relations with public institutions and authorities, cooperates with the chiefs of all the other structures within the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the performance of the tasks and measures assigned by the management of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
- Coordinates the activity of the police units, according to the law.