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| National Police of Honduras | |
|---|---|
| Agency name | Policía Nacional de Honduras |
| Native name | Policía Nacional de Honduras |
| Formed | 1882 |
| Country | Honduras |
| Legal jurisdiction | Honduras |
| Headquarters | Tegucigalpa |
| Parent agency | Secretaría de Seguridad |
National Police of Honduras is the primary law enforcement institution responsible for public safety in Honduras, operating alongside bodies such as the Armed Forces of Honduras, the Attorney General of Honduras, and the Supreme Court of Honduras. Originating in the late 19th century, the force has evolved through reform efforts influenced by regional actors including the United States Department of State, the United Nations, and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. The institution interacts with international partners such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Organization of American States.
The antecedents trace to policing models used under the Spanish Empire in Honduras (Spanish colony), later reshaped during the era of the First Honduran Republic and the Second Honduran Republic. Reorganizations in the 20th century responded to events like the Football War and periods of military rule involving leaders such as Oswaldo López Arellano. Late-century reforms were prompted by narcotics trafficking tied to networks associated with the Medellín Cartel and actors linked to the Sinaloa Cartel, as well as pressure from the United States Congress and bilateral accords with the United States of America. Post-2000 eras saw initiatives connected to the Plan Colombia regional influence, cooperation with the Central American Integration System, and scrutiny from the Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch reports.
The force is administratively connected to the Secretaría de Estado en los Despachos de Seguridad and works with institutions like the Municipal Police of Honduras and the Policía Militar del Orden Público units. Internal divisions have included specialized units comparable to the Special Weapons and Tactics teams of other nations, investigative branches akin to the FBI model, and anti-narcotics sections modeled after the DEA. Command structures reference ranks and protocols influenced by the Civil Guard (Spain), with oversight interactions involving the National Congress of Honduras and advisory roles from the Organization of American States.
Primary duties include criminal investigation, crowd control, counter-narcotics operations, and protection of critical infrastructure such as the Toncontín International Airport and the Presidential Palace in Tegucigalpa. The force coordinates with the Public Ministry (Honduras), municipal authorities in cities like San Pedro Sula and La Ceiba, and regional security frameworks such as the Central American Security Commission. Responsibilities extend to judicial cooperation with bodies including the International Criminal Court and participation in disaster response alongside the Honduran Red Cross.
Standard issue equipment has included small arms comparable to those used by counterparts in the National Police Corps of Spain and tactical vehicles similar to models procured by the Mexican Federal Police. Vehicle fleets operate patrol cars, motorcycles, and armored personnel carriers used by units in operations in departments like Cortés and Francisco Morazán. Aviation support has at times involved aircraft types analogous to those used by the Colombian National Police and maritime patrols coordinate with the Honduran Navy for interdiction in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Fonseca.
Training programs have been developed in collaboration with institutions such as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, the Spanish Guardia Civil, and police academies inspired by curricula from the National Police of Peru and the Carabineros de Chile. Recruitment standards have been subject to reforms influenced by recommendations from the United Nations Development Programme, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the OAS Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH). Training covers investigation methods similar to those taught at the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy and crowd management techniques paralleling practices of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The institution has faced allegations documented by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights regarding excessive force, extrajudicial killings, and corruption tied to organized crime networks including links to transnational cartels such as the Los Zetas and the Gulf Cartel. High-profile incidents prompted investigations involving the OAS and bilateral scrutiny from the United States Department of State, including conditionalities in security assistance programs overseen by the U.S. Congress. Judicial inquiries have engaged the Public Ministry (Honduras) and occasional referrals to international mechanisms like the International Criminal Court.
International collaboration has included training, funding, and technical assistance from the United States Agency for International Development, the European Union, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, as well as multilateral programs under the Central American Integration System and bilateral agreements with neighboring states such as Guatemala and El Salvador. Efforts to combat trafficking and transnational crime feature coordination with the U.S. Southern Command, the Caribbean Community, and initiatives supported by the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank.
Category:Law enforcement in Honduras