National Police of Honduras

History

For more than 30 years the National Police of Honduras was part of the Armed forces, disassociating from them in 2001. Following the disassociation, the Honduran police kept a military character and depended on the Office of National Defense and Public Security (SDNSP). The qualified authority was the Director of the FFAA, who functioned as a representative of the President of the Republic.

Beginnings of police elements

In 1866, under the government of General José María Medina, the "Law of Rural Police" was decreed, which instituted inspectors that possessed the attributes of the justices of peace. This group later came to be called the "Body of Gendarmerie".

In December 1881, the president of the republic, Marco Aurelio Soto, organized the "Police of the Line" in the municipalities of Tegucigalpa and Comayagüela into the form of a commander, a sub-commander, an assistant, four sergeants, and five policemen.

The first National Police

On 15 January 1882 by order of the president Marco Aurelio Soto, an Agreement and Regulation of the Ministry of Government and Justice was issued, which established the creation of the National Police.

On 14 September 1888 the on-duty president general, Luis Bográn, issued a decree on the Regulation of Government and the creation of the Port Police, effective 1 January 1890.

In 1930, the "Investigative Police", later called the "National Direction of Criminal Investigation" was created; in 1933 the "Police of Traffic" (today Traffic) was created.

Dissolution of the National Police

In June 1959 the military movement against President Ramón Villeda Moral, directed by Colonel Arming Velásquez Cerrato, removed the National Police and in its place created a Paramilitary body with police functions, designated the "Civil Guard".

Special Security Unit (CES)

On 9 October 1963, after the coup against the government of Villeda Morales, the Special Security Corps (CES) was created on the initiative of Chief of State Oswaldo López Arellano, under the Ministry of Defense and Public Security. The first director of the CES was General Alonzo Flores Guerra.

The demands of the time forced the institution to create the dependencies "Rural Detachments" and "Highway Patrol" in delegations and sub-delegated departments across the country.

Public Security Force (FUSEP)

In 1969, in the war between Honduras and El Salvador, the CES fought on the side of the army. In 1974 the Police of Inland Revenue was created; on 30 January 1975 the CES disappeared and the Public Security Force (FUSEP) was formed as a branch of the Armed forces of Honduras. The police force was modernized, and its employees were outfitted in green uniforms and armed with regulation 9mm Browning Hi-Power pistols and FN FAL (Rifle Automatique Léger) NATO rifles of caliber 7.62 x 51.

National Directorate of Investigation

On 4 January 1982, the Centre of Police Instruction Captain José Santos Guardiola (CIP-CJSG) (now called the Police Technical Institute [ITP-CJSG]) was established. In July 1984, the School of Qualification for Officials of Police (ECOP) (now known as the Upper Institute of Police Education [ISEP]) was established.

The National Directorate of Investigation (DNI), another unique police force, remained under military command with military ranks. The commander-in-chief, a general, was sometimes a graduate of the National Police Academy of Honduras General José Trinidad Cabañas (ANAPO), and sometimes of the National Police University of Honduras (UNPH).

Legal frame

The Organic Law of the National Police is the legal basis that forms and governs the National Police of Honduras.

Article 293 of the Constitution of Honduras by Decree 136-1995 and Decree 229-1996 in addition to Article 22 of its Organic Law by Decree No. 67-200815 defines the National Police as:

Functions

The Organic Law describes the functions of the institution and its five directions. The most important functions fulfilled by the National Police are contained in Articles 3, 22, 46 and 66 of the Organic Law. These functions are:

In addition, the Preventive Police must combat crimes related to organized crime (such as smuggling, fraud or tax evasion); and implement police controls on taxes and combat the production, use, possession and illegal trafficking of arms and drugs. It must enforce the legal order of transportation, transit and roads, and exercise security functions in immigration matters.

Structure and Organization

The National Police of Honduras is a body under the Secretariat of Security, one of the 16 State Secretariats of the Executive Branch and is under the final authority of the President of the Republic. The Minister of Security is the head of the Office of Security after the Executive Power.

The Directorate General of the National Police (DGPN) is the chief executive of the National Police and under his command are six central bodies made up of the National Directorate of the Preventive Police (DNPP), the National Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DNIC), the National Directorate of Special Investigation Services (DNSEI), the National Transit Authority (DNT), the National Directorate of Preventive Special Services (DNSEP) and the Internal Affairs Investigation Directorate (DIAI).

The National Police are also part of the National Police Police Education System (SEP), headed by a Rectory. The SEP includes four units: the National Police University of Honduras (UNPH), the Police Technological Institute (ITP), the National Police Academy (ANAPO) and the School of Sub-Officers (ESO). Each of these units is headed by a Director.

National Preventive police

The philosophy of the Moral Revolution proposed by President Carlos Roberto Reina Idiáquez led to the total reform of the powers and regulations of the Armed Forces of the country, completely separating the Police from the command of the army through its Organic Law. The National Preventive Police (Policía Nacional Preventiva) is operated with chiefs graduated from a police academy with a degree in Police Sciences, and who act under the name of Commissioner of Police. Today, that academy is a pre-degree Unit of the National Police University of Honduras (UPNH), and its graduates receive the rank of Sub-Inspector of Police. The uniforms, patrol cars, Galil pistols and regulation rifles of Sub-Inspectors are all colored blue. The National Police has air units utilizing Bell 206 JetRanger helicopters (designated Falcon) to provide air support to ground commands.

The Cobras

The Cobras are police agents skilled in managing riots and disturbances, snipers, and tactical and special operations with training by American SWAT units. Once they have been qualified, these police officers are assigned to the unit designated Special Command Cobra (Comando Especializado Cobra) (COECO).

National Directorate of Criminal Investigation

The National Direction of Criminal Investigation (DNIC) was developed with training and instructors from Scotland Yard (UK), FBI and DEA US), and Mossad (Israel). This new police unit utilizes as regulation weapons the Glock calibre 9mm, the Remington shotgun, and the IMI Galil rifle. A Director General and a dependent of the newly founded Public Ministry of Honduras work together as both fiscal agent and investigative agent, acting jointly for the investigation, identification and registration of common crimes. A Forensic Physician was added as part of a Faculty of Forensic Sciences, to assist in first-degree offenses and forensic expertise in related offenses, drug trafficking, etc. This group completes its role by presenting the offender and evidence in an oral trial, to be held in a competent court and dependent on the Supreme Court of Justice of Honduras.

Technical police officers

The unit designated as D.G.I.C. (now designated D.P.I.) drafted 18 year old men and women who had just completed secondary or university¹ education, to become detectives of investigation. This unit was headed by commissioners or Inspectors. The D.G.I.C./D.P.I. agents operated in regional country delegations, with each unit operated by a coordinator, sub coordinator and several agents.

These agents specialize in the following fields:

The New National Police

In 1993 it was proposed to separate the functions of investigation and prevention, creating the Directorate General of Criminal Investigation (DGIC) under a new Public Ministry. The old Preventive Police and the new DGIC remained subject to different authorities for the coming years. By Decree No. 229-96 of 17 December 1996 the National Congress of Honduras ordered the transfer of the Police to civil power, under the command of an interventory board created for that purpose and integrated by Dr. Hernán Corrales Padilla as President; accompanied by lawyers Jorge Ponce Turcios, Francisco Cardona Argüelles, Germán Leitzelar Vidaurreta, Felipe Elvir Sierra, José Zamora Bados, and engineer Alfredo Landaverde.

On 28 May 1998, Decree No. 156-98 created the Organic Law of the National Police (LOPN), under the Secretariat of State in the Dispatch of Security and assisted by 2 sub-offices. This unit was created according to the general law of Public Administration and the transfer was implemented by an Honorary Board chaired by Dr. Hernán Corrales Padilla.

Once the LOPN was in place, the military unit was terminated and the Police were then designated as an independent and civilian body. The Police chose the Virgin of Carmen as their patroness and on 16 July of each year the "National Police Patroness Day" is celebrated.

On 22 May 2012 the General Directorate of the Honduran National Police Juan Carlos Bonilla Valladares, General Commissioner for 48 years, assumed office. On 19 December 2013, President Porfirio Lobo swore in Ramón Antonio Sabillón Pineda as the new director of the national police, replacing Juan Carlos Bonilla Valladares.

TIGERS

The TIGERS are a special Police force created by president Juan Orlando Hernandez when he was titular of the National Congress. The aim of the TIGERS is to provide security to the citizenry, to combat organized crime and common delinquency. In confronting the sources of insecurity in Honduras, both in rural and urban areas, these goals are in accordance with the State security policy, under the coordination of the Defense and National Security Council. All operations of the TIGERS are accompanied by judges and public prosecutors. TIGERS are trained for several months by instructors from the US Army Green Berets and members of the JUNGLAS unit of the Colombian National Police, with the support of the US government.

The training received by TIGERS includes:

DPI

The new national police of investigation of the republic of Honduras, inaugurated by president Juan Orlando Hernández on 1 September 2015, has been active since that date. President Hernández stated in his investiture speech that "the expectations of the work this body will perform are very high." Honduras reported a record high of homicides in 2012 with a worrying rate of 86.6 per 100 thousand inhabitants. This new investigative police unit is planned to begin with 1000 agents, to be assigned in the regional headquarters of San Pedro sula, La Ceiba, Santa Rosa de Copán, Comayagua and Choluteca. The agents (detectives) are highly trained in crime scene management and other investigative elements, making Honduras the first country in Central America to have mobile crime labs.

Police officers killed in Honduras

As of 2009 and with an appalling increase, crime has multiplied in this Central American country, due to social instability, an increase in gangs, and youth unemployment due to lack of work. Added to this is the proliferation of uncontrolled firearms, a situation which has provoked a sense of insecurity and 'lawlessness', in which citizens fear for their lives when taking to the streets, and police officers are concerned for their own safety when attempting to maintain order.

Below is a brief list of police officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.