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Algeria Sûreté Nationale
The Sūreté Nationale is the primary policing authority in
Algeria's principal cities and other urban areas. Subordinated
administratively to the Ministry of Interior, the Sūreté is
charged with maintaining law and order, protecting life and
property, investigating crimes, and apprehending offenders. In
addition, it performs other routine police functions, including
traffic control.
Under the direction of its inspector general, the Sūreté in
1993 consisted of a force of 16,000 and is believed to be
organized along the lines of its French counterpart, with
operational and investigative branches and supporting services.
The judiciary police branch is responsible for criminal
investigations, working in close coordination with the Office of
the Public Prosecutor in the Ministry of Justice. Police elements
assigned to the capitals of the wilayat are under the
nominal control of the individual governors. A special riot
police force is equipped with modern riot-control gear. Although
the police were able to cope with urban disturbances and violence
during the early and mid-1980s, the military had to be called in
to help quell the severe riots in late 1988.
Elements of the Sūreté also play a role in countering threats
to the government arising from political subversion. The Sūreté
assigns police contingents to work with customs inspectors at
legal points of entry to control illegal activities. Their main
concerns are apprehending undesirable immigrants and contraband
traffickers.
Data as of December 1993
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