Politsiya

Politsiya is the term used in several languages to denote the police service of a country. In its broad sense, politsiya refers to the civil police responsible for maintaining public order, enforcing laws, preventing and investigating crime, and providing general public safety. The word is common in Russian, Ukrainian, and other post-Soviet languages, where it is the standard name for the police and is often transliterated as politsiya.

Origin and usage: The term is cognate with the English police, which derives from French police and Latin politia meaning civil administration. In Slavic languages, politsiya was adopted to reflect the Western concept of a national police force and is used across many countries outside of Russia as well.

Organization and duties: Politsiya forces are typically part of a country’s internal affairs ministry or a similar national body, with national, regional, and local divisions. Common duties include patrol and response, criminal investigation, traffic control, countering organized crime, border security in some states, and emergency services.

History and reforms: In the Soviet era, law enforcement was organized as militsiya. After the breakup of the USSR, several states reformed police services and renamed them politsiya. Russia renamed its Militsiya to Politsiya in 2011 as part of a modernization program; Ukraine followed with a 2015 reform that established a police service named Politsiya and created the National Police as part of broader reforms. Other states have retained or adapted the name differently.