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Law enforcement in Switzerland
 
 
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Law enforcement in Switzerland is mainly a responsibility of the 26 cantons of Switzerland
Cantons of Switzerland

File:Karte 13 Alte Orte.pngThe 26 cantons of Switzerland are the State s of the federation of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereignty state with its own borders, army and currency until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848....
, who each operate cantonal police
Cantonal police

The Cantonal police are the law enforcement agencies for each of the 26 Swiss Cantons of Switzerland. Law enforcement in Switzerland is mainly a responsibility of the 26 cantons of Switzerland, who each operate cantonal police agencies....
 agencies. Some cities also operate municipal police agencies as provided for by cantonal law. The federal government
Federal government of Switzerland

The federal government of Switzerland may refer to:* the Swiss Federal Council or* the federal administration of Switzerland....
 provides specialised services and is responsible for the protection of the Swiss border.






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Police Antiemeute P1000485
Law enforcement in Switzerland is mainly a responsibility of the 26 cantons of Switzerland
Cantons of Switzerland

File:Karte 13 Alte Orte.pngThe 26 cantons of Switzerland are the State s of the federation of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereignty state with its own borders, army and currency until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848....
, who each operate cantonal police
Cantonal police

The Cantonal police are the law enforcement agencies for each of the 26 Swiss Cantons of Switzerland. Law enforcement in Switzerland is mainly a responsibility of the 26 cantons of Switzerland, who each operate cantonal police agencies....
 agencies. Some cities also operate municipal police agencies as provided for by cantonal law. The federal government
Federal government of Switzerland

The federal government of Switzerland may refer to:* the Swiss Federal Council or* the federal administration of Switzerland....
 provides specialised services and is responsible for the protection of the Swiss border. Throughout Switzerland, the police may be reached by the emergency telephone number
Emergency telephone number

Many countries' Public switched telephone network have a single emergency telephone number, sometimes known as the universal emergency telephone number or occasionally the emergency services number, that allows a caller to contact local emergency services for assistance....
 1-1-7.

Law enforcement agencies


Federal

The federal government does not run a general purpose law enforcement agency. National-level law enforcement coordination is provided by a board of cantonal police commanders. The Federal Office of Police
Federal Office of Police

The Federal Office of Police or fedpol of Switzerland is subject to the Federal Department of Justice and Police. It is responsible for the coordination between cantonal police corps and between Swiss and foreign police forces....
, an organisation belonging to the Federal Department of Justice and Police
Federal Department of Justice and Police

The Federal Department of Justice and Police is one of the seven Ministry of the Switzerland federal government, headed by a member of the Swiss Federal Council, the Swiss minister of justice....
, coordinates international operations and may request cantonal police support for criminal investigations conducted under federal jurisdiction (such as with respect to organised crime, money laundering
Money laundering

The definition of money laundering is dependent on the jurisdiction in which the act takes place.In US law it is the practice of engaging in financial transactions to conceal the identity, source, or destination of illegally gained money....
 and terrorism
Terrorism

Terrorism, according to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, is the systematic use of terror, "violent or destructive acts committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their demands." At present, there is no internationally agreed upon definition of terrorism....
).

The Federal Department of Finance
Federal Department of Finance

The Federal Department of Finance is one of the seven Ministry of the Swiss federal government. The department is headed by a member of the Swiss Federal Council, Switzerland's finance minister....
 is responsible for the Swiss Border Guard Corps
Border Guard Corps

File:EU_Swiss_border_post.jpg Border Guard Corps are the federal law enforcement agency who act as both the border guard and customs service of Switzerland....
. The military of Switzerland
Military of Switzerland

The military of Switzerland, officially known as the Schweizer Armee or Swiss Armed Forces, is a unique institution somewhere between a militia and a regular Swiss Army....
, led by the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports, operates a professional military security service and a military police
Military police

Military police are normally the police of a military organization.Military police may refer to:* a section of the military solely responsible for policing the armed forces ...
 service. These services, as well as the armed forces in general, can be tasked to support the cantonal police forces in situations where civilian police resources are insufficient, such as catastrophes or large-scale unrest. In this case, the military serves under cantonal civilian responsibility and command.

The Swiss Federal Railways operates a railway police service through Securitrans, a joint venture with Securitas AG
Securitas AG

Securitas AG is a Switzerland family company providing security services with head office in Zollikofen, regional offices in Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Lugano, Lucerne, Neuch?tel, Olten, St....
. Its agents are uniformed but unarmed, and may detain troublemakers on the Swiss railway network.

Cantonal

The 26 cantonal police
Cantonal police

The Cantonal police are the law enforcement agencies for each of the 26 Swiss Cantons of Switzerland. Law enforcement in Switzerland is mainly a responsibility of the 26 cantons of Switzerland, who each operate cantonal police agencies....
 agencies and numerous municipal police
Municipal police

Municipal police are law enforcement agencies that are under the control of local government, where is it the smallest administrative subdivision....
 agencies are the backbone of Swiss law enforcement. They are not subordinate to federal authorities. Their commanding officers report to the head of the respective cantonal or municipal department of police, who is a member of the cantonal or municipal governing council.

Police training is conducted in cantonal service academies and at the Interkantonale Polizeischule Hitzkirch, a joint police academy of twelve police agencies established in 2007.

Private

Several private security services such as Securitas AG
Securitas AG

Securitas AG is a Switzerland family company providing security services with head office in Zollikofen, regional offices in Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Lugano, Lucerne, Neuch?tel, Olten, St....
 and Protectas exist in Switzerland. Their agents (except those of the railway police service as noted above) do not have any law enforcement authority, such as the power of arrest
Power of arrest

The power of arrest is a mandate given to certain members of a society by the central authority that allows them to remove a criminal or suspected criminal's liberty....
, beyond that of ordinary citizens.

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