National Police Service (Bulgaria)

The National Police Service (Bulgarian: Национална Служба Полиция), also known as the General Directorate "National Police" (Bulgarian: Главна дирекция "Национална полиция", ГДНП) is an independent agency of the Ministry of the Interior responsible for general law enforcement in Bulgaria.^[1]

National Police Service Национална Полиция
Logo of the National Police
Common name	Полиция / Police
Abbreviation	GDNP
Agency overview
Formed	1925
Preceding agency	People's Militia
Employees	53114 officers
Annual budget	$1,103,492,490
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction	Bulgaria
General nature	Civilian police
Operational structure
Headquarters	Sofia, Bulgaria
Elected officer responsible	Daniel Mitov, Minister of Interior
Agency executive	Senior Commissioner Zahari Vaskov, Director
Parent agency	Ministry of Interior
Child agency	Security Police, Traffic Police, local Specialized Police Forces and other smaller agencies
Facilities
Stations	ODMVR Blagoevgrad -Two stations in Blagoevgrad -Substations in Razlog, Bansko, Gotse Delchev, Petrich and Sandanski ODMVR Burgas -Four stations in Burgas, fifth under construction -Substations in Aitos, Karnobat, Malko Tarnovo, Nessebar, Primorsko, Pomorie, Ruen, Sozopol, Sredets, Sungurlare, Tsarevo ODMVR Varna -Five stations in Varna -Substations in Aksakovo, Devnya, Provadiya ODMVR Veliko Tarnovo -Station in Veliko Tarnovo -Substations in Gorna Oryahovitsa, Elena, Pavlikeni and Svishtov ODMVR Vidin -Three stations in Vidin -Two substations in Belogradchik, one in Kula ODMVR Vratsa -Two stations in Vratsa -Substations in Mezdra, Byala Slatina, Kozloduyi, Oryahovo ODMVR Gabrovo -One station in Gabrovo -Substations in Sevlievo, Dryanovo and Tryavna ODMVR Dobrich -Two stations in Dobrich -Substations in Tervel, Balchik, General Toshevo, Shabla and Krushari ODMVR Kyustendil -One station in Kyustendil -Substations in Dupnitsa, Bobov Dol and Rila ODMVR Kardzhali -Two stations in Kardzhali -Substations in Momchilgrad, Dzhebel, Kirkovo, Ardino, Krumovgrad ODMVR Lovetch -One station in Lovetch -Substations in Troyan, Teteven, Lukovit, Ugurchin, Yablanitsa ODMVR Montana -One station in Montana -Substations in Lom and Berkovitsa ODMVR Pazardzhik -One station in Pazardzhik -Substations in Velingrad, Panagyurishte, Peshtera, Septemvri ODMVR Pernik -Two stations in Pernik -Substations in Radomir, Breznik and Tran ODMVR Pleven -Two stations in Pleven -Substations in Cherven Bryag, Levski, Nikopol, Dolni Dubnik, Dolna Mitropolia, Knezha ODMVR Plovdiv -Six stations in Plovdiv -Substations in Asenovgrad, Karlovo, Hisar, Stamboliiski, Rakovski, Parvomai, Trud ODMVR Razgrad -One station in Razgrad -Substations in Isperih and Kubrat ODMVR Ruse -Two stations in Ruse -Substations in Byala, Betovo, Dve Mogili and Slivo Pole ODMVR Silistra -One station in Silistra -Substations in Tutrakan and Dulovo ODMVR Sliven -One station in Sliven -Substations in Nova Zagora, Kotel and Tvarditsa ODMVR Smolyan -One station in Smolyan -Substations in Chepelare, Devin, Madan and Zlatograd SDVR Sofia -Nine stations in Sofia -Substations in Botevgrad, Elin Pelin, Etropole, Ihtiman, Kostenets, Kostinbrod, Pirdop, Pravets, Samokov, Svoge and Slivnitsa ODMVR Stara Zagora -Two stations in Stara Zagora -Substations in Kazanlak, Chirpan, Gulubovo and Radnevo ODMVR Targovishte -One station in Targovishte -Substations in Popovo and Omurtag ODMVR Haskovo -One station in Haskovo -Substations in Dimitrovgrad, Svilengrad, Harmanli, Topolovgrad and Ivailovgrad ODMVR Shumen -One station in Shumen -Substations in Veliki Preslav, Novi Pazar and Kaolinovo ODMVR Yambol -One station in Yambol -Substations in Tundzha, Straldzha and Elhovo
Marked vehicles	Opel Astra G, Kia Ceed, Skoda Rapid, Haval H6, VW Tiguan, Dacia Duster (shown below)
Unmarked vehicles	Opel Astra, VW Transporter, Kia Ceed, Skoda Rapid, Ford Kuga and others
Website
www.mvr.bg/gdnp

History

Directorate for Police and State Security (1925–1944)

With the creation of the "Law for administration and police" in 1925 was established the "Police and State Security Directorate" .

Its duties included enforcing laws and ensuring the safety of the country. It continued to function until 1944 with the creation of the People's Militia.

Militia (1944–1989)

The People's Militia (Bulgarian: Народна милиция) was established by the Council of Ministers with Decree No. 1 on 10 September 1944 (one day after the communist coup).^[2]

The Directorate of the People's Militia was structured into two departments: State Security and People's Militia.^[3][4]

On April 1, 1947, the Main Directorate of the People's Militia was established, which included the Directorate of State Security and the Directorate of the People's Militia.

The militia functioned as a basic police force, but also acted as an intelligence agency and spied on both its own and foreign citizens, secretly gathering information for the communist party.

With the democratic changes of 1991, the People's Militia was replaced by the National Police.^[5][6]

General Directorate of the National Police (1991–present)

With the fall of communism in 1991 was established the National Police Directorate and later, in 1993 was accepted the new law for the national police.

In 2008 the national police numbered 47000 officers and 5000 administrative workers. In 2022 a total of 53114 officers and ~4000 civilian workers served under the GDNP.

Directors

• Encho Staykov (September 1944)
• Radenko Vidinsky (September – November 1944)
• Rusi Hristozov (November 1944 – April 1947)
• Blagoi Penev (January 10, 1948 – April 20, 1950)
• Major General Georgi Krastev (March – October 1963)
• Colonel Petko Stoyanov (1953 – May 1954; 1957 – 1963)
• Grigor Shopov (June 18, 1963 – ?)
• Major General Georgi Krastev (? – April 1966)
• Lieutenant General Nikola Angelov (April 1966 – December 1969)
• Major General Kostadin Iliev (July 17, 1972 – October 22, 1981)
• Major General Ivan Dimitrov (October 22, 1981 – February 21, 1990)
• Colonel Hristo Velichkov (1990)
• Colonel Viktor Mihailov (1990 – December 1992)
• Major General Hristo Marinski (January 3 – February 19, 1997)
• Colonel Slavcho Bosilkov (February 19, 1997 – December 3, 1998)
• Major General Vasil Vasilev (December 3, 1998 – December 15, 2003)
• Major General Ilia Iliev (December 15, 2003 – September 21, 2005)
• Lieutenant General Valentin Petrov (September 21, 2005 – November 28, 2007)
• Chief Commissioner Veselin Petrov (November 28, 2007 – July 1, 2008)
• Chief Commissioner Krasimir Petrov (July 1, 2008 – November 25, 2013)
• Chief Commissioner Todor Grebenarov (November 25, 2013 – February 24, 2015)
• Chief Commissioner Hristo Terziyski (February 24, 2015 – July 24, 2020)
• Senior Commissioner Nikolay Hadzhiev (July 24, 2020 – June 8, 2021)
• Chief Commissioner Stanimir Stanev  (June 8, 2021 – January 4, 2022)
• Senior Commissioner Atanas Ilkov (January 4, 2022 – January 7, 2022)
• Chief Commissioner Vencislav Kirchev (January 7, 2022 – August 9, 2022)
• Atanas Ilkov (since August 9, 2022 – current director of the National Police)

Structure

The National Police has the following structure:^[7]

• General Directorate "National Police"
• Director
  • departments and sectors directly subordinated to the Director
  • Deputy Director
    • Criminal Police Department
    • Economic Police Department
  • Deputy Director
    • Department for Investigations
    • Department for Methodic Supervision of Investigations
    • independent sectors
  • Deputy Director
    • Public Order and Territorial Police Department – Security Police, Traffic Police
    • Specialized Police Forces

Ranks and insignia

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
National Police Service
			МВР Главен Секретар пагон.svg		МВР Главен комисар пагон.svg		МВР Старши комисар пагон.svg				МВР полиция комисар пагон.svg		МВР полиция главен инспектор пагон.svg		МВР полиция старши инспектор пагон.sv		МВР полиция инспектор I степен пагон.svg		МВР полиция инспектор II степен пагон.sv			МВР полиция инспектор III степен пагон.sv
			Главен секретар		Главен комисар		Старши комисар				Комисар		Главен инспектор		Старши инспектор		Инспектор I-ва степен		Инспектор II-ра степен			Инспектор III-та степен

Others

Rank group	Policemen
National Police Service
	Chief policeman	Policeman 1st grade	Policeman 2nd grade	Policeman 3rd grade
	Главен полицай	Полицай I-ва степен	Полицай II степен	Полицай III степен

Inventory

Small arms

Name	Origin	Type	Notes
Makarov	Bulgaria	Semi-automatic pistol	Locally produced at the Arsenal plant in Kazanlak. Most popular pistol in the Bulgarian Police.
Walther PDP	Germany		Bought in bulk since 2020. Second most popular handgun, though mostly used in the bigger cities and by higher ranked police in the countryside.

Vehicles

Bulgarian Police SsangYong

A Haval H6, common SUV used by the police since their purchase in 2015.

Bulgarian Police Ford Transit

Bulgarian Police Skoda Rapid

A traffic police officer stands next to his Kia Ceed patrol vehicle, pulling another car over for inspection.

A Skoda Rapid police car patrolling a rural area

See also

• Ministry of Justice
• Law enforcement in Bulgaria

Crime:

• Crime in Bulgaria