Buenos Aires Provincial Police

Buenos Aires Provincial Police Policía de la Provincia de Buenos Aires
Patch of the Buenos Aires Provincial Police
Agency overview
Formed	1880 (1880)
Employees	57,000
Legal personality	Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
General nature	Law enforcement Local civilian police
Operational structure
Elected officer responsible	Alejandro Granados, Ministry of Security
Agency executive	Comisiario Gral. Hugo Matzkin , Chief of Police
Website
Police at Ministry of Justice website

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.

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 Argentinean 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:

Rank	English translation
Superintendente	Superintendent
Comisionado	Commissioner
Inspector	Inspector
Capitán	Captain
Teniente Primero	First Lieutenant
Teniente	Lieutenant
Subteniente	Sublieutenant
Sargento	Sergeant
Oficial de Policía	Police Officer

Current rank system

As of 2009, a new law modified the police ranks and established some variations (Ley 13.982/09). 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 Commando ranking;
• Professional Officers;
• Administrative Officers;
• Technical Officers;
• General Services personnel;
• 911 personnel;
• Civilian personnel.

The current levels for the Commando 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

External links

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