What Functions Will Police Guard Service Perform? Deputy Minister Explains

In Armenia, it is planned to establish a Police Guard, resulting in the dissolution of several police departments.  Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan presented the draft laws concerning the Police Guard during the meeting of the National Assembly’s Defense and Security Committee.

"The package clarifies the status of the Police Guard. It will no longer be considered part of another military force and will thus be under the general coordination of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the direct command of the police chief during both peacetime and wartime conditions. Accordingly, it will have the status of a pure police unit within the entire police system. In contrast, we currently have a dual status where the forces, despite being police units, combine external and internal security functions because they have a direct obligation to participate in the defense of the Republic of Armenia,” said the deputy minister.

The functions of the Police Guard have been specified as ensuring public order and safety, protecting state-protected and critically important facilities, ensuring the security of the transportation of special cargoes, protecting individuals involved in criminal proceedings, ensuring the legal regime of martial law and state of emergency, and participating in the protection of the population during emergencies, as well as assisting in the security of individuals under special state protection.

The Guard will be a completely new structure, not being a successor to any police units. The units currently serving the aforementioned functions, such as the Police Forces, the escort company of the Road Police, and the protection units within the Criminal Police, will cease their activities, and in their place, the Police Guard will be established.

The Guard will not only be stationed in Yerevan. It will be divided into three parts throughout the republic: the northern, central, and southern regions will each have their own subdivisions of the Police Guard. The commander of the Guard will also hold the position of Deputy Chief of Police. Anyone entering the Police Guard will have to go through the appropriate educational process. Only by successfully completing that educational process can an individual be appointed to the Police Guard. There will be no automatic appointments.

"Among other things, we are introducing a new standard regarding the use of force by the police system. For the first time at the legal level, these relations are being meticulously regulated," she stated. According to the order of the Minister of Internal Affairs, a corresponding standard operational process will be defined, where it will be detailed under what circumstances force should be applied and how special measures should be enacted to ensure necessary actions with minimal interference.

The draft legislation removes the restriction related to holding gatherings at a distance that threatens the normal functioning of the residences of the president, the National Assembly, government buildings, courts, or correctional institutions. The limitation is lifted, considering that practice shows otherwise, as protests often occur quite close to these areas. "And if an individual’s complaint is directly addressed to a specified entity, it logically follows that there cannot be any additional restrictions in this regard," Sargsyan noted.

It is expected that if the draft is adopted, it will come into effect on September 1, 2024. The commander of the Police Guard will be appointed by January 10, 2025, with the understanding that comprehensive retraining of police officers will take place before then. The final formation of the guard is anticipated within two months following the commander’s appointment.

A list of potential armaments for the Police Guard has also been registered. Completely new uniforms are planned for the service members.