Romania: Information on the National Police force and its relationship to the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 April 1994 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ROM17190.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Romania: Information on the National Police force and its relationship to the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), 1 April 1994, ROM17190.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6abd04.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to a November 1992 interview with Romania's National Police Chief published in Adevarul, the national police force is responsible for combating "anti-social" activities including organized crime, drug and arms trafficking, counterfeiting, black marketeering, and assaults (4 Nov. 1992).
An official at the RCMP liaison office at the Canadian Embassy in Vienna stated that all municipal policing functions in Romania's capital cities are conducted by special subsidiaries of the national police force known as "capital police forces" (28 Feb. 1994). The official stated that the national police proper are responsible for police functions such as traffic control and criminal investigations outside of these municipalities (ibid.).
Information on the exact nature of the relationship between Romania's national police force and the Romanian Intelligence Service could not be found among the sources currently available to the DIRB. However, Romania's national police force falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Interior Affairs (Nistoreanu, pp. 7-9). In an April 1992 interview, the Romanian Interior Minister stated that the Ministry and the SRI maintain "normal relations" and cooperate to a point "since both institutions work in complementary areas" (Tineretul Liber 24 Apr. 1992).
For additional information concerning the national police and the Ministry of Interior Affairs, please refer to the attached documents and Romania: Security Forces and The Romanian Intelligence Service published by the DIRB which is available at your Regional Documentation Centre.
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Adevarul [Bucharest, in Romanian]. 4 November 1992. "National Police Chief Discusses Current Activity." (FBIS-EEU-92- 220 13 Nov. 1992, pp. 17-18)
Professor Dr. Gheorghe Nistoreanu, "New Police Academy Emphasizes Reform," CJ International [Chicago],Vol. 2, No. 1. January-February 1992.
RCMP Liaison Office, Canadian Embassy, Vienna. 28 February 1994. Telephone interview with representative.
Tineretul Liber [Bucharest, in Romanian]. 24 April 1992. "Interior Minister Discusses Political Issues." (FBIS-EEU-92-088 6 May 1992, p. 30)
Attachments
Adevarul [Bucharest, in Romanian]. 4 November 1992. "National Police Chief Discusses Current Activity." (FBIS-EEU-92-220 13 Nov. 1992, pp. 17-18)
CJ International [Chicago]. Vol. 2, No. 1. January-February 1992. Professor Dr. Gheorghe Nistoreanu, "New Police Academy Emphasizes Reform," pp. 7-9.
. Vol. 6, No. 5. November-December 1990. "The Police and the Police State," pp. 3-4.
Rompres [Bucharest, in English]. 6 January 1992. "'Text' on Organization of Interior Ministry." (FBIS-EEU-92-004 7 Jan. 1992, pp. 17-18)
Tineretul Liber [Bucharest, in Romanian]. 24 April 1992. "Interior Minister Discusses Political Issues." (FBIS-EEU-92-088 6 May 1992, pp. 29-31)
World Encyclopedia of Police Forces and Penal Systems. 1989. New York: Facts on File, pp. 324-25.