Thimphu - Law and Order

Law and Order

Law and order in Thimphu and in the country as a whole are the responsibility of the Royal Bhutan Police (RBP), a national police branch of the armed forces, established in Thimphu in September 1965 when 555 personnel were reassigned from the Royal Bhutan Army. The organization is responsible for law and order, traffic control, and crime prevention. In 1988, a fingerprint bureau was established in Thimphu, for which a female second lieutenant received specialized training. Bhutan became a member of Interpol on 19 September 2005; since then, Interpol has maintained a National Central Bureau at RBP headquarters in Thimphu.

The RBP is headed by a chief of police who is under the control of the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs. He is assisted by a deputy chief of police. The headquarters of the RBP is located in the capital city of Thimphu and is divided into three branches directly under the chief of police. The RBP has grouped districts into "ranges," which are under the administrative control of range police officers. A district police officer heads the police force in a district. There are a number of police stations, outposts, and checkpoints in a district; the highest-ranking officer is usually designated the officer in charge of that particular area. Thimphu district and the city fall under Range I. Recruits are trained at the police training centres in Zilnon, Namgyeling–Thimphu, Jigmeling–Gelephu, and Tashigatshel–Chukha.