Buenos Aires Provincial Police

The Buenos Aires Provincial Police (Spanish: Policía de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, informally Policía Bonaerense) is the police service responsible for policing the Province of Buenos Aires, in Argentina.

It is one of the biggest police services of Argentina, responsible for policing a province of over 15 million inhabitants, about 38% of Argentina's entire population. The Federal Capital district of Buenos Aires city is under the separate jurisdiction of the Argentine Federal Police and the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Police.

The institution is usually referred to as Policía Bonaerense, where bonaerense is the demonym for the Province of Buenos Aires. This contrasts with porteño, used for the inhabitants of the Buenos Aires city.

This police force is subordinate to the Provincial Ministry of Security headed by Minister Carlos Stornelli. The Chief of the force, Comisario General Hugo Matzkin has the title of Superintendente General de Policia, which translates as Superintendent General of Police.^[3]

Police Ranks

A Bonaerense police van in Quilmes.

Until January 2005, the Buenos Aires Police used the same rank system as employed by the Federal Police and other Argentine provincial police forces. This system consisted of seventeen ranks, of which nine were for (commissioned) officers and eight were for sub-officers (including the basic rank of agent). A new and simplified rank system was established through passage of a law governing police personnel.

This system officially abolished the distinction between (commissioned) officers and sub-officers. It instituted a rank system consisting of the following nine ranks, listed in descending order:

Current rank system

As of 2009, a new law modified the police ranks and established some variations (Ley 13.982/09).^[4] It establishes different personnel rankings ("Escalafones" as they are called in Spanish), which relate to operational responsibilities:

• Officers of the General ranking;
• Officers of the Command ranking;
• Professional Officers;
• Administrative Officers;
• Technical Officers;
• General Services personnel;
• 911 personnel;
• Civilian personnel.

The current levels for the Command sub-ranking are (ten levels) in descending order:

• 1) Conducting Officers:

Comisario General
Comisario Mayor

• 2) Supervision Officers:

Comisario Inspector

• 3) Chief Officers:

Comisario
Subcomisario

• 4) Subordinate Officers:

Oficial Principal
Oficial Inspector
Oficial Subinspector
Oficial Ayudante
Oficial Subayudante

The General sub-ranking defines seven levels (the general sub-ranking is subordinate to the commando sub-ranking, so its highest ranking is subordinate to the lowest ranking of commando officers):

• 1) Superior Officers:

Mayor (Major)
Capitán (Captain)
Teniente 1ro. (First Lieutenant)

• 2) Subordinate Officers:

Teniente (Lieutenant)
Subteniente (Sublieutenant)
Sargento (Sergeant)
Oficial (Officer)

• 3) Police Academy cadet.

Both the Commando and General rankings represent the sworn officers (armed personnel). The other rankings constitute the support staff. For the Professional, Technical and Administrative sub-rankings, the levels of the Commando sub-ranking is employed. The subordinate relationship between the subrankings makes the Commando ranking the highest group over all.

See also

• Argentine Federal Police
• Buenos Aires Police Intelligence
• Buenos Aires Urban Guard
• Santa Fe Province Police
• Interior Security System

References

External links

• Media related to Buenos Aires Provincial Police at Wikimedia Commons
• Police website
• Ministry of Security website

Law enforcement agencies of Argentina
Federal	Policía Federal Gendarmería Nacional Prefectura Naval Policía de Seguridad Aeroportuaria Federal Penitentiary Service Oficina Anticorrupción
Provincial	Buenos Aires Santa Fe Córdoba Tucumán
Local	Policía Metropolitana de Buenos Aires
Tactical	Brigada Especial Operativa Halcón Compañía de Tropas de Operaciones Especiales Cuerpo Guardia de Infantería Grupo Alacrán Grupo Albatros Grupo Especial de Operaciones Federales Grupo Especial Uno
Intelligence	Policía Federal Gendarmería Nacional Prefectura Naval Policía de Seguridad Aeroportuaria Servicio Penitenciario Federal Policía Bonaerense