Entry
Reader's guide
Entries A-Z
Subject index
Algeria
Algeria, a North African country of 2,381,740 square kilometers on the Mediterranean Sea bordered by Tunisia and Morocco, has a population of 32.8 million people (July 2003 estimate). Formerly a French colony, it fought for and won its independence in 1962. Algeria has large natural gas and oil reserves, but unemployment is high and the standard of living for those outside the energy sector is low. When elections in 1991 revealed strong support for an Islamic Fundamentalist–based party, the socialist government responded by dissolving the party; all political parties based on religion were banned in 1997. A low-grade conflict between fundamentalists and the State's secular institutions has been going on since the 1991 elections, characterized primarily by terrorist attacks and indiscriminate violence from terrorist factions and the disappearance of thousands of individuals (not only those suspected of terrorist activity), believed to have been taken by government security forces. Governmental reconciliation efforts since 2000 lowered the numbers of violations on both sides. Dissatisfaction with widespread corruption and abuse of authority continues to generate public unrest, particularly in ethnic Berber areas.
Gendarmerie and SÛreté Nationale
Algeria's laws are enforced by a 45,000-member gendarmerie under the control of the Ministry of Defense, which polices rural areas, and a 30,000-member SÛreté Nationale under the Ministry of the Interior (U.S. State Department source). This combined strength of 75,000 means there is 1 police officer for every 437 inhabitants. In practice, the military also plays a large role in the administration of justice.
Organization and Operations
Both the Gendarmerie and the SÛreté Nationale were formed after independence and modeled after their French counterparts.
The Gendarmerie
The Gendarmerie provides law enforcement in rural areas, and operates under the authority of the Ministry of Defense. While criticized for being unprepared and ill-equipped to deal with civil disturbances in the 1990s, it was lauded for its success in discovering and eliminating desert and mountain terrorist camps.
The Gendarmerie shares the military's administrative structure and has headquarters in the same six cities where the military has regional headquarters. It is organized in battalions whose companies and platoons deploy in communities or rural outposts. It has a training academy at Sidi Bel Abbas, the former headquarters of the French Foreign Legion. Officers are trained at an academy in Isser, not far from the capital, Algiers.
SÛreté Nationale
The SÛreté Nationale is Algeria's primary urban police force, modeled on its French counterpart. Its responsibilities include maintaining law and order, protecting life and property, apprehending offenders, and traffic controlling. In 1993, it had 16,000 members who reported to the Minister of the Interior. Criminal investigation is handled by the judiciary police, a branch of the SÛreté Nationale. Its officers work with customs inspectors at border entry points. The SÛreté Nationale has a division of riot police, but demonstrations from the 1990s exceeded their capabilities, and the military were frequently called in.
Other Law Enforcement and Security Organizations
In addition to the main law enforcement services, the military has branches specifically to deal with terrorist issues. One of these branches is the Sécurité Militaire (Military Security), which is formally under the Ministry of the Interior but operates as a military force adjunct to the armed forces. This organization of counterterrorist brigades reports to the Ministry of Defense and has as its mission the investigation and response to intelligence provided by the police and the Gendarmerie, primarily in the vicinity of Algiers. It has been accused of detaining suspects incommunicado and indefinitely, and of using brutal force during interrogations.
...
- Agencies/Associations/Organizations
- Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
- Airborne Law Enforcement Association
- American Society of Criminology
- Burns Detective Agency
- Child Welfare
- Commission on the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies
- Crime Stoppers
- Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association
- Fraternal Organizations
- Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association
- International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators
- International Association of Chiefs of Police
- International Association of Women Police
- Mothers against Drunk Driving
- National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives
- National Black Police Officers Association
- National Native American Law Enforcement Association
- National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives
- National Rifle Association
- National Sheriffs' Association
- Police Executive Research Forum
- Police Foundation
- U.S. Police Canine Association, Inc.
- Civilian/Private Involvement
- Communications
- Crime Statistics
- Culture/Media
- Drug Enforcement
- Asset Forfeiture, State
- Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- Drug Enforcement in the United States
- Drug Policy and Legislation
- Drug Prevention Education
- Drug Testing of Employees
- Drug Testing of Police
- Drug Trafficking
- Federal Drug Seizure System
- Food and Drug Administration
- Harrison Act
- Marijuana Tax Act
- Narcotics Control Act
- Office of National Drug Control Policy
- Pure Food, Drink, and Drug Act
- Federal Agencies/Organizations
- Bureau of Engraving and Printing Police
- Bureau of Engraving and Printing Police
- Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- Bureau of Industry and Security
- Bureau of Land Management Law Enforcement
- Bureau of Reclamation, Office of Security, Safety, and Law Enforcement
- Critical Incident Response Group
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Department of Homeland Security
- Department of Justice
- Diplomatic Security Service
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- Federal Air Marshal Program
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
- Federal Protective Service
- Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
- Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Law Enforcement
- Forest Service, Law Enforcement and Investigations
- Inspectors General
- Inspectors General, Offices of
- Internet Fraud Complaint Center
- Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, Federal
- Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, State and Local
- Library of Congress Police
- National Crime Information Center
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services
- National Marine Fisheries Service, Department of Commerce
- National Public Safety Information Bureau
- National Security Agency
- National Transportation Safety Board
- National Zoological (Smithsonian) Park Protective Services
- Nuclear Security, Department of Energy
- Office of Security, Central Intelligence Agency
- Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
- Pentagon Police
- Secret Service
- Tennessee Valley Authority Police
- Transportation Security Administration
- U.S. Capitol Police
- U.S. Coast Guard
- U.S. Customs Service
- U.S. Marshals Service
- U.S. Postal Inspection Service
- International Law Enfrocement
- Community Policing, International
- Community Policing: A Caribbean Case Study
- EUROPOL
- History of Police
- International Criminal Justice Mechanisms
- International Police Association
- International Police Cooperation
- INTERPOL
- Police and Peacekeeping in the United Nations
- Police and Terrorism
- Police Corruption
- Police Corruption: Combating Strategies
- Police Structure: Centralized/Decentralized
- Police Training: A Comparative Perspective
- Private Security Industry Growth in Western Countries
- Suicide by Cop: International Perspective (Police-Involved, Victim-Provoked Shooting)
- United Nations and Criminal Justice Policy
- Women in Policing
- Investigation Techniques
- American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors
- Ballistics
- Ballistics Recognition and Identification Systems
- Combined DNA Index System
- Coroner and Medical Examiner Systems
- Crime Laboratories
- Crime Laboratory Accreditation
- Crime Mapping
- Crime Scene Investigation
- Detectives
- DNA
- DNA Testing
- Document Examiners
- Encryption
- Evidence
- Fingerprints
- Forensic Accounting
- Forensic Art
- Forensic Science
- Geographic Information System
- Information Technologies
- Interrogation
- Investigative Techniques
- Lie Detection
- Profiling, Criminal Personality
- Profiling, Drug Courier
- Profiling, Geographic
- Task Forces
- Undercover Operations, Federal
- Undercover Operations, State and Local
- Investigation, Types of
- AMBER Alert
- Arson Investigation
- Art Theft Investigation
- Child Abduction Investigations
- Child Molestation
- Child Pornography
- Cold Case Investigations
- Computer Crime
- Crime Scene Investigation
- Domestic Violence Enforcement
- Drunk Driving Enforcement
- Gangs Investigation
- Homicide Investigation
- Identity Theft and Identity Crimes
- Missing Persons Investigations
- Office of Security, Central Intelligence Agency
- Organized Crime Control
- Serial Murder Investigation
- Sex Crime Investigation
- Vidocq Society
- Investigative Commissions
- Christopher Commission, The
- Crown Heights Report
- Knapp Commission, The
- McCone Commission, The
- Mollen Commission, The
- National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorder (Kerner Commission)
- National Commission on Law Observance and Enforcement (Wickersham Commission)
- President's Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice
- Rampart Investigation, The
- Law and Justice
- Legislation/Legal Issues
- Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act
- Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act
- Campus Safety and Security Acts
- Children's Online Privacy Protection Act
- Church Arson Prevention Act
- Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act
- Consent Decrees
- Freedom of Information Act
- Fugitive Felon Act
- Gun Control
- Gun Control Act
- Harrison Act
- Hate Crimes
- Hate Crimes Statistics Act
- Hate Crimes, Law Enforcement Response to
- Immigrants (Policy Toward)
- Mann Act
- Marijuana Tax Act
- Motor Vehicle Theft Act
- Narcotics Control Act
- Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act
- Posse Comitatus Act
- Privacy Act
- Prohibition Law Enforcement
- Pure Food, Drink, and Drug Act
- Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
- Sexual Offender Civil Commitment
- USA PATRIOT Act
- Violence against Women Act
- Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act (1994)
- Volstead Act
- Military
- Intelligence and Security Command, Department of the Army, Department of Defense
- Militarization of American Police
- Military Police, Department of the Army, Department of Defense
- Military Policing
- National Guard
- Naval Criminal Investigative Service
- U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations
- U.S. Air Force Security Forces
- U.S. Criminal Investigation Command, Department of the Army, Department of Defense
- Minority Issues
- Affirmative Action in Policing
- Cultural Competency Training/Sensitivity Training
- Depolicing
- Gays in Policing
- Hate Crimes
- Hate Crimes, Law Enforcement Response to
- Immigrants (Policy Toward)
- International Association of Women Police
- National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives
- National Native American Law Enforcement Association
- National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives
- Profiling, Racial
- Race Relations
- Tribal Policing
- Women in Federal Agency Law Enforcement
- Women in Federal Law Enforcement
- Women in Policing, State and Local
- Personnel Issues
- Affirmative Action in Policing
- Assaults on the Police
- Body Armor
- Cultural Competency Training/Sensitivity Training
- Drug Testing of Employees
- Drug Testing of Police
- Early Warning Systems
- Education of Police
- Evaluation of Officers
- Fraternal Organizations
- Hiring Standards for Police
- Morale
- Patrol Shifts
- Patrol Work
- Physical Fitness and Training
- Police Corps
- Police Discretion
- Police Management
- Police Officers' Bill of Rights
- Police Residency Requirements
- Police Shootings
- Police Strikes/“Blue Flu”
- Police Training in the United States
- Psychologists/Psychological Services
- Quotas (Tickets, Arrests)
- Rank Structure
- Stress
- Unions
- Police Conduct
- Accountability
- Assaults on the Police
- Civil Liability
- Civil Rights Violations by Police
- Civilian Complaint Review Boards
- Complaints against Police
- Consent Decrees
- Corruption/Integrity
- Early Warning Systems
- Ethics
- Evaluation of Officers
- Internal Affairs
- Police Brutality
- Police Code of Silence
- Police Discretion
- Police Misconduct
- Police Shootings
- Suicide by Cop
- Use of Force
- Whistle-Blowing
- Police Procedures
- Arrest
- Canine (K-9) Units
- Chain of Custody
- Confessions
- Duty Belt
- Electronic Surveillance, Federal
- Electronic Surveillance, State and Local
- Exclusionary Rule
- Eyewitnesses
- Hostage Negotiations
- Informants
- Interrogation
- Lie Detection
- Lineups
- Miranda Warnings
- Nonlethal Weapons
- Plain View Doctrine
- Police Discretion
- Police Pursuits
- Probable Cause
- Search and Seizure
- Search Warrants
- Stop and Frisk
- SWAT Teams
- Undercover Operations, Federal
- Undercover Operations, State and Local
- Use of Force
- Vehicle Searches
- Video in Patrol Cars
- Weapons
- Policing Strategies
- Safety and Security
- Airport Security
- Auxiliary/Reserve/Part-Time Police
- Burns Detective Agency
- Campus Policing
- Emergency Services Units
- National Domestic Preparedness Office
- National Guard
- Peace Officers
- Pinkerton National Detective Agency
- Private Policing
- School Crime/Security/Response
- Special Jurisdiction Law Enforcement Agencies
- Wackenhut Corporation
- Specialized Law Enforcement Agencies
- Tactics
- Arrest
- Bombs and Bomb Squads
- Canine (K-9) Units
- Counterterrorism
- Crime Mapping
- Crime Prevention Units
- Crisis Intervention
- Duty Belt
- Emergency Services Units
- Geographic Information System
- Hostage Negotiations
- Juvenile Crimes/Programs/Units
- Mentally Ill, Police Response to the
- Militarization of American Police
- Misdemeanors
- Nonlethal Weapons
- Police Mediation
- Radar
- Riots/Demonstrations (Response to)
- Special Victims Units
- Stop and Frisk
- SWAT Teams
- Task Forces
- Traffic Enforcement
- Truancy
- Use of Force
- Vehicle Searches
- Weapons
- Terrorism
- Victims/Witnesses
- Loading...
Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL
-
Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life -
Read modern, diverse business cases
-
Explore hundreds of books and reference titles
Read next
More like this
Sage Recommends
We found other relevant content for you on other Sage platforms.
Have you created a personal profile? Login or create a profile so that you can save clips, playlists and searches