National Police (Arab Union)

الشرطة الوطنية National Police
Parent agency	Ministry of Interior
Formed	10 May 1955; 69 years, 6 months and 4 days ago
Preceding agencies	PAA Police (1948–55)
Employees	335,880 total employees • 277,234 constables • 78,646 support staff
Annual budget	ð70.74 billion
Size	11,779,130 km²
Population	488,319,377
Agency executive	Abdul Hussein Saidullah, Chief Constable
Headquarters	Kora Gardens Congress, Bab el-Mutasarref, Nasseria
Commands	• 20 Republican Commands • 1 Autonomous Command • 1 Capital District Command • 1 Federal Command

The National Police (Arabic: الشرطة الوطنية ash-shurṭah al-waṭanīyah) are the national police and primary law enforcement agency of the Arab Union. A major agency of the Ministry of Interior, the National Police are organised at both the federal and republican/governorate levels. They are responsible for preserving civil order and public safety, patrolling urban and rural communities alike, traffic enforcement, criminal investigation, and emergency response along with the National Fire and Rescue Authority and National Health Authority.

Because the National Police remain the only visible police presence within all Arab Union communities, the simple term شرطة shurṭah (lit. "police") is the common colloquialism used by the general community for the National Police as an organisation, while a single officer/constable is known as a شرطي shurṭī (m) or شرطية shurṭayah (f).

Uniform

Below is an illustration of the standard National Police uniform in all parts of the Arab Union. The hat is a mandatory part of the uniform, with the exception of female officers who wear the hijab as part of their uniform, which must be black or dark green in colour.

The rank insignia appears on the epaullettes of the uniform, ie. atop the shoulders.

Rank structure

#	English title	Arabic title	Insignia
1)	(Police) Constable	شرطي shurṭī
2)	(Police) Sergeant	رقيب raqīb
3)	Staff Sergeant	رقيب أول raqīb awwal
4)	(Police) Inspector	محقق muḥaqqaq
5)	Chief Inspector	محقق أول muḥaqqaq awwal
6)	Superintendent	مشرف musharrif
7)	Chief Superintendent	مشرف أول musharrif awwal
8)	Deputy Chief Constable	نائب الرئيس nāʾib ar-raʾīs
9)	Chief Constable	رئيس الشرطة raʾīs ash-shurṭah

Civilian ranks

Employees of the constabulary who are not sworn constables (police officers) account for just under one fifth of personnel, and are referred to as civilian personnel (although this is technically a misnomer, as sworn constables are in actuality also civilians, at least as distinguished from military personnel; nevertheless, this is the terminology used in police departments across the Union). Civilian personnel fill all sorts of roles, including but not limited to administrative and human resources staff, personal aides, forensics, scientific, IT and other experts, pilots, doctors and medics, maintenance personnel, mechanics, etc.

Civilian staff use a three-tiered ranking system which resembles a simplified corporate-style hierarchy. While all civilian personnel have their civilian rank displayed on their photo ID card (which, like sworn constables, must be worn on a band round their neck at all times while on duty in a constabulary building or judicial institution), the most distinguishing mark is necktie colour. All civilian personnel are subordinate in rank to all sworn constables irrespective of police rank.

#	Rank title	Tie colour
1)	Clerk
2)	Supervisor
3)	Director