| Agencyname: | Police |
| Nativename: | Rendőrség |
| Abbreviation: | ORFK |
| Patch: | Insignia Hungary Police.svg |
| Patchcaption: | Coat of arms of the Hungarian Police |
| Motto: | Szolgálunk és Védünk We Serve and Protect |
| Formedyear: | 1955 (Communist era) 1990 (Current) |
| Dissolved: | 1990 (Communist era) |
| Employees: | 39,207 (2018) |
| Budget: | $50 million |
| Country: | Hungary |
| Governingbody: | Ministry of home affairs |
| Headquarters: | Budapest |
| Minister1name: | Sándor Pintér |
| Minister1pfo: | Interior Minister |
| Chief1name: | Lieutenant General János Balogh |
| Chief1position: | Police Commissioner |
| Officetype: | Province Police Command |
The Rendőrség (English: Police) is the national civil law enforcement agency of Hungary and is governed by the Interior Ministry. It was formerly established under the Hungarian People's Republic in 1955, formally known as the Magyar Népköztársaság Rendőrsége (English: Police of the Hungarian People's Republic).[1] [2]
Until 2006, the police operated under the authority of the Ministry of Interior. From 2006 to 2010, the Ministry of Justice and Law Enforcement was the governing body of the police, which absorbed the Border Guard on December 31, 2007.In 2010, the government reinstated the Interior Ministry.
The police have national headquarters in the capital but otherwise operate through its county commands. Other national bodies include the National Bureau of Investigation (modeled after the FBI), Counter-terrorism Centre (TEK, an elite commando of heavily armed officers), and KR (Riot police and Rapid Response Unit, Propaganda bureau a civil law enforcement agency).
On July 1, 2010, the government decided to set up the Counter-terrorism Center, which was responsible for preventing terrorist attacks, protecting government officials, and serving as an intelligence service. In 2011, the government established the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (AH), the Counter-terrorism Center, the National Security Service (NBSZ), and the National Defense Service (NVSZ). The Interior Ministry governs all of these new agencies.
On July 1, 2012, the government disbanded the Republican Regiment, which was responsible for protecting government officials.
The Customs and Finance Guard is under the control of the Ministry of National Economy, which is the successor for both the Tax and Financial Control Office and the National Tax and Customs Office (NAV.) The Directorate-General for Crime is a separate tax police within the NAV that investigates financial crimes. Other law enforcement agencies include the Prisons Enforcement Agency, the Disaster Protection Agency, and the Parliamentary Guard. The Ministry of Interior controls both the Counter-terrorism Center and the controversial National Defense Service. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution usually does secret investigations on organized crime groups that threaten national security. However, it is also starting to arrest people.On January 1, 2008, the parliament passed an amendment that merged the Border Guard into the National Police and transferred Border Guard's property, vehicles, and other assets to the National Police. The National Police later established the Border Police Department, which secures the border by detecting and preventing illegal immigration.
| Organization | Employees | |
|---|---|---|
| Police (Rendőrség) | 44,923 | |
| Counter-terrorism Center (Terrorelhárítási Központ) | 400–600 | |
| National Defense Service (Nemzeti Védelmi Szolgálat) | 415 | |
| National Security Service (Nemzetbiztonsági Szakszolgálat) | ~2000 | |
| Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Alkotmányvédelmi Hivatal) | ~1200 |