Poland: Police structure, including reporting hierarchy
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Publication Date | 17 April 2014 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | POL104836.E |
| Related Document(s) | Pologne : information sur la structure des forces policières, y compris la structure hiérarchique |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Poland: Police structure, including reporting hierarchy, 17 April 2014, POL104836.E , available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/542931ba4.html [accessed 22 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The US Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2013 indicates that the national police force, with regional and municipal units, is overseen by the Ministry of Interior (US 27 Feb. 2014, 5). According to a profile of policing in the Republic of Poland published on the website of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE),
[t]he National Police Headquarters, the organizational unit through which the Chief Commander of Police implements objectives specified in the Police Act and other Acts of Parliament, consists of 18 organizational units, which plan, organize, co-ordinate, supervise and monitor the implementation of its statutory duties by the Polish police.
The Provincial Chiefs of Police and the Metropolitan Chief of Police report to the Chief Commander of Police. Police Headquarters reflect the country's division into 16 provinces, and its jurisdiction covers the whole provincial territory.
The Metropolitan Chief of Police performs his/her duties with the help of the Metropolitan Police Headquarters within the territory specified in the Act. His/her duties and competencies over the relevant territory correspond to the tasks and competencies of the Provincial Chief of Police. (OSCE 21 Nov. 2006)
The OSCE website provides an organization chart for Poland's national police (ibid. n.d). A copy of the chart is attached to this Response.
Article 47 in Chapter 6 of the 1990 Act on the Police lists the police corps and ranks and states that they are in the following order of priority:
in the corps of commissioned Police officers:
Inspector General of Police,
Super-inspector of Police,
Police inspector,
junior Police inspector,
Police sub-inspector,
Police super-commissioner,
Police commissioner,
Police sub-commissioner,
in the corps of Police ensigns:
Police staff ensign,
senior Police ensign,
Police ensign,
junior Police ensign,
in the corps of non-commissioned Police officers:
Police staff sergeant,
senior Police sergeant,
Police sergeant,
in the corps of Police constables:
senior constable,
constable. (Poland 1990, Art. 47)
Chapter 2 of the 1990 Act on the Police governs the organisation of the police force in Poland (ibid., Ch. 2). A copy of the Act is attached to this Response.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). 21 November 2006. POLIS. "Poland." [Accessed 24 Mar. 2014]
_____. N.d. POLIS. "The Organization Scheme of National Police HQs." [Accessed 4 Apr. 2014]
Poland. 1990 (amended 2002). Act of 6 April 1990 on the Police. Translated version on the website of the National Police. [Accessed 8 Apr. 2014]
United States (US). 27 February 2014. Department of State. "Poland." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2013. [Accessed 4 Apr. 2014]
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources: Attempts to contact the following organizations were unsuccessful within the time constraints of this Response: criminal lawyers in Poland; Foundation for Assistance to Crime Victims; Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights in Warsaw; Institute of Public Affairs in Warsaw; Poland - Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Ottawa, Home Police Command, National Police, Office of the Human Rights Defender in Warsaw.
Internet sites, including: Amnesty International; Council of Europe; ecoi.net; European Police College; Europol; European Research Center for Anti-corruption and State-building; Factiva; Freedom House; Globalintegrity.org; Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights; Human Rights House Network; Institute of Public Affairs; International Ombudsman Institute Kancelaria Adwokacka; Interpol; Legislationline; Lexadin; New Poland Express; Nobilis Counsels; Poland - Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Ottawa, Home Police Command, Human Rights Defender, Internal Security Agency, Ministry of Interior, National Police; Polish Institute of Public Affairs; Polskie Radio; Redpress.org; Stefan Batory Foundation in Warsaw; Transparency International; United Nations - Refworld; United States - Embassy of the United States in Warsaw, Overseas Security Advisory Council; The Warsaw Voice.
Attachments
1. Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). N.d. POLIS. "The Organization Scheme of National Police HQs." [Accessed 4 Apr. 2014]
2. Poland. 1990 (amended 2002). Act of 6 April 1990 on the Police. Translated version on the website of the National Police. [Accessed 8 Apr. 2014]
