Denmark: police and security agencies
01 January 1991
Denmark: police and security agencies
bacdoc July=1995
The information in this country file was first published in the
handbook "Statewatching the new Europe" (November 1993). It was
compiled by Peter Klerks and extracted from a longer report which
is available from: The Domestic Security Research Foundation, PO
Box 11178, 1001 GD, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Denmark
43,070 km², 5,132,626 inhabitants
Long-form name: Kingdom of Denmark
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Copenhagen
Administrative divisions: metropolitan Denmark--14 counties
(amter, singular--amt) and 1 city (stad). The Färoe Islands and
Greenland are part of the Danish realm and self-governing
administrative divisions.
Constitution: 5 June 1953
Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislative
acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Executive branch: monarch, heir apparent, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Folketing)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
I. POLICE STRUCTURES & forces
Total no. of police officers: 10,269 plus 2,227 administrative,
including the police forces in the Färoe Islands (pop. 47,317)
and Greenland (pop. 55,385). Denmark also has a 7,000-strong
`Home Guard' that functions as a reserve force for special
occasions. The 1991 national police force was estimated at 10,300
(Hazenberg and Mulschlegel 1992). Women in the police: approx.
5%. No. of police officers per 100,000 inhabitants: 183 (EC av.
338)
The Danish police form a single national force, administered
through the police department of the Ministry of Justice. Policy-
making responsibilities are divided between the Rigspolitichefen
(national commissioner), the Politimestre (53 district chiefs of
police) and the Politidirektor (Copenhagen's commissioner).
Although the police chiefs enjoy a high degree of autonomy, final
responsibility lies with the Minister of Justice. All senior
ranks (above chief superintendent) are career jurists who have
served in the prosecutors offices. The national police force has
over 7,733 uniformed officers for the regular police tasks, and
some 2,107 detectives for serious crimes. The office of the
Rigspolitichefen operates the Interpol NCB.
Denmark is covered by a network of district police HQs and,
in some districts, a number of divisional stations. All 54 police
districts are organised in seven police regions. The Danish
police is currently implementing a radio-based data communication
network for retrieval of relevant information from Copenhagen HQ
by hand-held and mobile terminals throughout the country.
Special units
The principal anti-terrorist capability is a police unit of the
Police Intelligence Service called Politiets
Efterretningstjenestre (PET)(Thompson, 1986: 118-119). Dispersed
around the country, operatives are called together periodically
for training or actual missions. Best suited for dangerous
operations, such as hostage rescue operations, is the 40-50
strong special unit in the Fr?mandskorpset (Navy combat swimmers)
whose main responsibility is anti-terrorist operations in ports,
oil rigs and ships. The Danish army is also believed to have
sniper and anti-terrorist capabilities.
Weaponry and special equipment
Firearms (in 1989 a 7.65 mm pistol) are generally carried on
patrols, but every use or threatened use must be officially
reported, as must the use of batons. Special units are equipped
with submachine guns and other weapons. Recently there has been
a big increase in the use of guns, in 1990 there were 225
recorded incidents and in 1992 over 300.
II. INTERNAL SECURITY AGENCIES
The Danish Politiets Efterretningstjeneste (PET, internal
security police) is Department G of the Office of the National
Commissioner's Office and is an integral part of the police. It
is responsible to the National Police Commissioner in the
Department of Justice. The security police