Railway Police
In 1918 the new Czechoslovak railways established its own security infrastructure, which at that time served only as a backup force for the regular police. Armed men protecting the railways were established in 1935, their functioning was regulated by the Law No. 86/1937 Zb from the year 1937, which also established the Armed guards units of the railways (Slovak: Ozbrojených strážnych oddielov železníc). Later, in the 1950s, Public Security at the Railways (Slovak: Verejná bezpečnosť na železnici) was created. Law No. 51/1964 Zb. established the Units of Armed and Fire protection of the Railways (Slovak: Ozbrojená a požiarna ochrana železníc - OPOŽ) in 1964. In 1967, under the OPOŽ units, an independent investigation service was established by Law No. 46/1967 Zb. After the fall of communism in 1989, federal power ceased over the protection of the railway system in 1992. Law No. 61/1993 Z. z from the year 1993 created a separate Slovak Railway Police by transforming part of the Federal Railway Police.
In 1998 the National Council of the Slovak Republic approved Law No. 57/1998 Z.z. by which the Railway Police was governed and the service employment within the Railway Police was described in Law No. 73/1998 Z.z. On 14 February 2008 the former law was amended with Law No. 86/2008 Z. z., this change established the structures of the Toll Police within the Railway Police. In 2010, the National Council of the Slovak Republic amended the Railway Police Law again by approving Law No. 60/2010 Z. z., moving the structures of the Toll Police within the Slovak Police Force.
Previously administered by the Ministry of Transport, Post and Telecommunications, since 2009 the Railway Police is administered by the Ministry of Interior. Since 1 January 2011, in accordance with law approved on 10 December 2010, a new service "Railway Police" was created within the Police Force and the Railway Police was moved under the Police Force, all eligible former members becoming members of the Police Force. Some of the unique Railway Police competences were absorbed by the Police Force as well.
The following competences were added to each member of the Police Force since 1 January 2011:
- control over the railway traffic
- investigating railway traffic threats
- cooperating with others in the safe transfer of nuclear and other special materials
Current uniforms and badges are valid until the end of 2015.
Read more about this topic: Law Enforcement In Slovakia
Famous quotes containing the words railway and/or police:
“Her personality had an architectonic quality; I think of her when I see some of the great London railway termini, especially St. Pancras, with its soot and turrets, and she overshadowed her own daughters, whom she did not understand—my mother, who liked things to be nice; my dotty aunt. But my mother had not the strength to put even some physical distance between them, let alone keep the old monster at emotional arm’s length.”
—Angela Carter (1940–1992)
“I guess a career in the police didn’t really prepare you for this, did it?”
—Bob Hunt (b. 1951)