The Evolution Of Afghanistan's Police Force: A Complex Security Landscape

Afghanistan has a national police force, the Afghan National Police (ANP), which is responsible for civilian law enforcement. The ANP includes the Afghan Border Police, which has stations along the nation's border and at major airports, and the Afghan National Civil Order Police, which is responsible for maintaining civil order and preventing violent public incidents. The ANP is under the responsibility of the Ministry of Interior Affairs in Kabul, Afghanistan, and is headed by Sirajuddin Haqqani.

The history of the Afghan police can be traced back to the early 18th century, when the Hotak dynasty was established in Kandahar. The police force became more organised after 1880 when Emir Abdur Rahman Khan established diplomatic relations with British India. In the 1980s, it began receiving training and equipment from the Soviet Union.

In 2002, the United States and several other nations agreed to reform Afghanistan's security sector, including reconstituting the police force. As of 2023, the ANP has nearly 200,000 members. However, the ANP has faced challenges such as corruption and human rights abuses, and has been criticised for being ineffective in protecting Afghan citizens and controlling crime.

The Afghan National Police (ANP) is the national police force of Afghanistan

The ANP has its roots in the early 18th century, when the Hotak dynasty was established in Kandahar, followed by Ahmad Shah Durrani's rise to power. It became a strong organised force after 1880 when Emir Abdur Rahman Khan established diplomatic relations with British India. In the 1950s, a group of army officers were reassigned to the police forces to develop a new cadre and modernise the police organisation.

In 2002, the United States and several other nations agreed to reform Afghanistan's security sector, including reconstituting the police force. The ANP includes the uniformed police force, which is responsible for general police duties, and specialised police forces, which deal with public order, counternarcotics, terrorism, and border control.

The ANP has faced challenges such as corruption, human rights abuses, and equipment shortages. There have been efforts to reform and restructure the ANP, with support from the international community. As of April 2023, the ANP has nearly 200,000 members.

The ANP includes the Afghan Border Police, which is responsible for securing the nation's borders and international airports

The Afghan National Police (ANP) is the national police force of Afghanistan, serving as a single law enforcement agency across the country. The ANP includes the Afghan Border Police (ABP), which is responsible for securing the nation's borders and international airports.

The ABP was transferred from the Ministry of Interior (MoI) to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in December 2017 and renamed the Afghan Border Force (ABF). The ABF is tasked with maintaining security in the border security zone, which extends 30 miles into Afghanistan, to deter terrorists, criminal groups, and smugglers.

The ABF's mission includes securing and patrolling border areas, as well as supporting Afghan National Army (ANA) operations against insurgent and terrorist forces. The ABF is divided into seven brigades, each reporting to the ANA corps commanders.

Prior to the transition, the ABP was responsible for the protection of Afghanistan's border, which covers over 3,400 miles, including the challenging Pakistan border. The ABP was part of the ANP and under the control of the MoI. The ABP had approximately 14,000 personnel and was the first line of defence along the border and at border crossings.

The ABP faced significant challenges, including unprofessionalism, poor equipment, leadership issues, drug trafficking, and corruption. Despite these difficulties, the United States and other international partners provided training and support to strengthen the ABP.

The ABP's responsibilities included border security patrols, immigration and visa services, establishing and maintaining border crossing points and international airports, and arresting and deporting illegal persons.

The transition of the ABP to the MoD aimed to increase the fighting capacity of the security forces, improve unity of command, and allow the MoI to focus on customs and border protection.

The ANP is under the responsibility of the Ministry of Interior Affairs in Kabul, Afghanistan, and is headed by Sirajuddin Haqqani

The Afghan National Police (ANP) is the national police force of Afghanistan, serving as a single law enforcement agency across the country. The ANP is under the responsibility of the Ministry of Interior Affairs in Kabul, Afghanistan, and is headed by Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is also the first deputy leader of Afghanistan and the leader of the Haqqani network.

The Ministry of Interior Affairs is the cabinet ministry of Afghanistan responsible for law enforcement, civil order, and fighting crime. The ministry's headquarters is located in Kabul. The ANP includes the Afghan Border Police, which has stations along the nation's border and at major airports, and the Afghan National Civil Order Police, which was responsible for providing civil order presence patrols, preventing violent public incidents, and providing crisis and anti-terror responses in urban and metropolitan environments.

The ANP is one of three major components of the nation's criminal justice system, alongside the courts and corrections. The ANP is also responsible for civilian law enforcement and is composed of the Afghan Uniformed Police, the Public Security Police, the Afghan Highway Police, the Afghan Border Police, the Criminal Investigation Department, and the Afghan Local Police.

The ANP has faced challenges such as corruption, human rights abuses, and a lack of training and equipment. Despite these issues, the ANP plays a crucial role in maintaining security and stability in Afghanistan.

The ANP has five regional commands: north, south, east, west, and central

The Afghan National Police (ANP) is divided into five regional commands: north, south, east, west, and central. Each region has its own headquarters and forward support base. The regional commands are under the operational control of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

Regional Command Capital (RC-C)

• C2 HQ: Kabul (France)
• FSB: Kabul International Airport (KAIA) (Hungary)

Regional Command South (RC-S)

• C2 HQ: Kandahar (UK)
• FSB: Kandahar Airfield Kandahar, Kandahar (The Netherlands)
• Lashkar-Gah, Helmand (Britain)
• Tarin Kowt, Uruzgan (Netherlands)
• Qalat, Zabol (Romania, USA)

Regional Command North (RC-N)

• C2 HQ: Mazar-e-Sharif (Germany)
• FSB: Mazar-e-Sharif (Germany)
• Kunduz, Kunduz Province (Germany)
• Mazar-e Sharif, Balkh (Sweden)
• Feyzabad, Badakhshan (Germany)
• Pol-e Khomri, Baghlan (Hungary)
• Meymaneh, Faryab (Norway)

Regional Command West (RC-W)

• C2 HQ: Herat (Italy)
• FSB: Herat (Spain)
• Herat, Herat (Italy)
• Farah, Farah (USA)
• Qala-e Naw, Badghis (Spain)
• Chaghcharan, Gowr (Lithuania)

Regional Command East (RC-E)

• C2 HQ: Bagram (US)
• FSB: Bagram (US)
• Bamyan, Bamyan (New Zealand)
• Bagram, Parwan (USA)
• Nurestan, Nurestan (USA)
• Panjshir, Panjshir (USA)
• Gardez, Paktia (USA)
• Ghazni, Ghazni (Poland, USA)
• Khowst, Khowst (USA)
• Sharan, Paktika (USA)
• Jalalabad, Nangarhar (USA)
• Asadabad, Kunar (USA)
• Mihtarlam, Laghman (USA)
• Wardak, Wardak (Turkey)
• Logar, Logar (Czech Republic)

The ANP is composed of sub-agencies such as the Afghan Uniform Police, Public Security Police, Afghan Highway Police, and Criminal Investigation Department

The Afghan National Police (ANP) is composed of several sub-agencies, including the Afghan Uniform Police, the Public Security Police, the Afghan Highway Police, and the Criminal Investigation Department.

The Afghan Uniform Police (AUP) is the primary civil law enforcement agency in Afghanistan and is responsible for general policing duties. The AUP is divided into five regional commands: north, south, east, west, and central.

The Public Security Police (PSP) was a gendarmerie responsible for civil order and counterinsurgency. The PSP was formed in March 2018 from the Afghan National Civil Order Police (ANCOP), with the majority of ANCOP personnel transferring to the Afghan National Army to form the Afghan National Civil Order Force (ANCOF).

The Afghan Highway Police (AHP) was a sub-department of the national police responsible for traffic safety and security on the "Ring Road" highway, which connects most major population centres in Afghanistan. The AHP has since been dissolved, with personnel and equipment reorganised under the Uniform Police.

The Afghan Border Police (ABP) is responsible for securing Afghanistan's borders and international airports against illegal entry and the smuggling of contraband. The ABP is divided into six regional zones, with headquarters in Mazar-i-Sharif, Fayzabad, Jalalabad, Gardez, Kandahar, and Herat.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is staffed by over 4,000 investigators spread across the nation, with the majority based in Kabul. They are responsible for investigations, crime scene procedures, documentation, and assisting other agencies.

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