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Albania
People's Police
In 1989, the People's Police had five branches: the Police for
Economic Objectives, Communications Police, Fire Police, Detention
Police, and General Police. The Police for Economic Objectives
served as a guard force for state buildings, factories, construction
projects, and similar enterprises. The Communications Police guarded
Albania's lines of communication including bridges, railroads,
and the telephone and telegraph network. Firefighting was also
considered a police function and was carried out by the Fire Police.
The Detention Police served as prison and labor camp guards. Finally,
the General Police corresponded to the local or municipal police
in other countries and attended to traffic regulation and criminal
investigations.
Although the functions of the General Police overlapped with
those of the security police to some extent, the General Police
operated at the local rather than the national level. However,
the headquarters of the General Police in larger towns had internal
security sections that coordinated their activities with those
of the security police. They maintained records on political dissidents,
Albanians outside their home districts, and foreign visitors and
resident aliens. They also monitored the identification cards
that Albanian citizens were required to carry. These cards, which
contained family and employment information and were required
for travel between cities and villages, constituted an effective
control over the movement of the population.
Service in the People's Police was usually a three-year obligation,
and individuals who had previously served in the armed services
were preferred. After 1989, however, detailed information on the
operations, staffing, and training of the People's Police was
generally not known outside of Albania.
Data as of April 1992
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