Angola
| Author | George Kurian |
| Pages | 144-145 |
Page 144
Official country name: Republic of Angola
Capital: Luanda
Geographic description: Country in Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic
Population: 11,190,786 (est. 2005)
The national Angolan police force, the Angolan National Police, evolved from the Portuguese colonial police. In 1978 the MPLA created the People's Police Corps as an arm of the Marxist Party. Most of its core members were also members of the MPLA and were drawn from the armed forces. The force was headquartered in Luanda under the Ministry of Defense, but there were provincial and local commands. It was supported by a paramilitary force of 10,000 that resembled a national guard. A police school known as the Kapolo Martyrs Practical Police School, staffed by Cubans, was also founded.
The Angolan National Police (ANP) is headed by a commander who reports to the Ministry of Defense in Luanda. Grades in the force are comparable to those in the military. Lowerranking personnel are referred to as sergeants and agents. ANP is organized by function and has sections or divisions devoted to criminal activities, traffic, railroads, ports and harbors, and mining. There are police commands in the provincial capitals and police squadrons below the provincial level. MPLA party cells are established even in the smallest police groups and a political commissariat exists at the main police headquarters.
In addition to ANP, there are other police organizations of which little is known. One is the Directorate of Information and Security, which is directly involved in national security operations. The other is the State Secretariat for Internal Order, which is a supervisory and advisory board concerned with the prevention of a broad range of crimes.
In 1983 President José Eduardo dos Santos created the People's Vigilance Brigades (BPV) as a mass public order and law enforcement force. Some BPV units are armed but most performed public security and welfare duties including crime prevention, detection, surveillance, and intelligence gathering. The brigades are organized at the provincial level and operated in small units of up to 100 members.
Since 1978...
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