National Police of Ukraine (Національна поліція України) |
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Patch of the National Police
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Emblem of the National Police
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Badge of the National Police
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Flag of the National Police of Ukraine
(Національна поліція України) |
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Motto | To serve and protect (Служити і захищати) |
Agency overview | |
Formed | 4 July, 2015 |
Preceding agency | Militsiya (1917–2015) |
Employees |
130,000
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Annual budget | 13.9 billion UAH (2016) |
Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
Jurisdictional structure | |
National agency | Ukraine |
Size | 603,629 km² |
Population | 44 million (approx.) |
Governing body | Government of Ukraine |
Constituting instrument | Law on "National Police" |
General nature | |
Operational structure | |
Overviewed by | Ministry of Internal Affairs |
Headquarters | 10, Academician Bohomolets str., Kiev, Ukraine |
Minister responsible | Arsen Avakov, Minister |
Agency executive | Serhiy Kniaziev , Chief |
Facilities | |
Patrol cars |
Toyota Prius Hyundai Sonata Renault Duster Mitsubishi Outlander |
Website | |
Official website |
130,000
The National Police of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Національна поліція України, Natsional'na politsiya Ukrainy), commonly shortened to Police (Ukrainian: Поліція, Politsiya), is the national police service of Ukraine. It was formed on 3 July 2015, as part of the post-Euromaidan reforms launched by Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko, to replace Ukrainian's previous national police service, the Militsiya. On 7 November 2015 all the remaining militsiya were labelled "temporary acting" members of the National Police.
The agency is overseen by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Prior to 3 July 2015, law enforcement in Ukraine was carried out directly by the Ministry of Internal Affairs as the militsiya. Plans to reform the Ministry, which was widely known to be corrupt, had been advocated by various governments and parties, but these plans were never realised.
In the aftermath of the 2013–2014 Euromaidan movement and subsequent revolution, the need for reform was acknowledged by all parties. Parliamentary elections were held in October 2014, after which all five of the parties that formed the governing coalition pledged to reform the ministry and create a new national police service.
As part of the reforms, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Arsen Avakov, presented plans to reduce the number of police officers in Ukraine to 160,000 by the end of 2015. The reform plans started with the combination of the ministry's current State Auto Inspection (DAI) and the patrol service in the country's capital Kiev in summer 2015. This new police patrol received funding from various countries. 2,000 new policemen and women, picked from 33,000 applicants, were recruited to initiate the new service in Kiev. Officers were American-trained.