Argentine Federal Police

Argentine Federal Police Policía Federal Argentina
Abbreviation	PFA
Motto	Al servicio de la comunidad To serve the community
Agency overview
Formed	1821
Jurisdictional structure
Federal agency (Operations jurisdiction)	Argentina
Operations jurisdiction	Argentina
Legal jurisdiction	As per operations jurisdiction
General nature	Federal law enforcement Local civilian police
Operational structure
Headquarters	Departamento Central de Policía, 1650 Moreno Street, Buenos Aires
Agency executives	Néstor Vallecca, Chief, Comisario General Jorge Oriolo, Deputy Chief, Comisario Mayor
Website
http://www.policiafederal.gov.ar (Spanish)
The Policía Federal Argentina, while a federal agency, also provides direct policing to tha capital city Buenos Aires Phone: 54 11 4378-5800/4346-7000/4809-6100

The Policía Federal Argentina (PFA; in English Argentine Federal Police) is a nationwide police force, it is the federal police agency of Argentina, with detachments in each of the country's provinces. Because of this, most routine police work is carried out by the provincial police (equivalent to state police in the United States), with the exception of the capital city of Buenos Aires, where the PFA also assumes the role of the local police. The Argentine Federal Police is being phased out in favor of the newer, more sophisticated Policía Metropolitana de Buenos Aires (Buenos Aires Metropolitan Police)

PFA officers during the 2008 Olympic Torch Relay in Buenos Aires

History

The history of this police force starts in 1580 and is divided in three stages. The first one includes the Policía de Buenos Aires (Buenos Aires Police), for the first three hundred years up to 1880. The second stage (1880-1943) corresponds to the Policía de la Capital (Police of the Capital), and the last one to the present PFA (since 1943).

General Organization

Armoured fighting vehicle of the Policía Federal. Buenos Aires, 2008.

The PFA is subordinate to the Ministry of Interior. The organization is headed by the Chief of the PFA, the Comisario General Néstor Vallecca, assisted by the Deputy Chief of the PFA, Comisario General Jorge Oriolo.

The PFA's main facility, known as the Departamento Central de Policía, is located at 1650 Moreno Street, Buenos Aires.

The organization of the PFA is as follows:

• Jefatura (Headquarters)

• Subjefatura (Subheadquarters)

• Superintendencias (Superintendencies)
  • • Superintendencia de Administración (Superintendency of Administration)
    • Superintendencia de Bienestar (Superintendency of Welfare)
    • Superintendencia Federal de Bomberos (Federal Superintendency of Firemen)
    • Superintendencia de Interior (Superintendency of Interior)
    • Superintendencia de Investigaciones Federales (Superintendency of Federal Investigations)
    • Superintendencia de Planificación y Desarrollo (Superintendency of Planning and Development)
    • Superintendencia de Seguridad Metropolitana (Superintendency of Metropolitan Security)
    • Superintendencia de Personal, Instrucción y Derechos Humanos (Superintendency of Personnel, Instruction and Human Rights)
    • Superintendencia de Policía Científica (Superintendency of Scientific Police)
    • Superintendencia de Comunicaciones (Superintendency of Communications)

• • Direcciones Generales Autónomas (General Autonomic Directorates)
    • Dirección General Autónoma de Asuntos Jurídicos (General Autonomic Directorate of Legal Affairs)
    • Dirección General Autónoma de Asuntos Internos (General Autonomic Directorate of Internal Affairs)

Superintendencies are commanded by a superintendente, a less common word in Spanish. Both superintendente and the much more common Spanish word comisario normally translate into English as superintendent, which creates some translation problems when discussing Argentine police services.

Police Ranks

Officer Ranks (in descending order)

Rank	Approximate English translation
Comisario General (Jefe de Policia) (utiliza 4 rombos)	Superintendent-General or Commissioner-General	Comisario General	Superintendent-General or Commissioner-General
Comisario Mayor	Superintendent-Major or Commissioner-Major
Comisario Inspector	Superintendent-Inspector or Commissioner-Inspector
Comisario	Superintendent or Commissioner
Subcomisario	Under-Superintendent or Sub-commissioner
Official Principal	Principal Officer
Official Inspector	Inspector Officer (or just Inspector)
Official Subinspector	Sub-inspector Officer (or just Sub-Inspector)
Official Ayudante	Adjutant Officer or Assistant Officer

Sub-Officer Ranks (in descending order)

Rank	Approximate English translation
Suboficial Mayor	Subofficer-Major
Suboficial Auxiliar	Auxiliary Sub-Officer
Suboficial Escribiente	Clerk Sub-Officer or Administrative Sub-Officer or Staff Sub-Officer
Sargento Primero	First Sergeant or Sergeant First Class
Sargento	Sergeant
Cabo Primero	First Corporal
Cabo	Corporal
Agente / Bombero	Agent / Fireman
Aspirante	Candidate or Cadet

See also

• Albatross Group
• Scorpion Group
• Hawk Special Operations Brigade
• Federal Special Operations Group
• Interior Security System
• Law Enforcement in Argentina

External links

• Template:Es icon Official website