Professional Standards Directorate (National Police Authority)

The Professional Standards Directorate (Arabic: ادارة المعايير المهنية idārat al-ma‘āyīr al-mahnīyah) is the constabulary body of the National Police Authority (NPA), the law enforcement regulatory authority of the Arab Union. As part of the NPA, it exists in accordance with Article III, parts 10 and 11 of the constitution of the Arab Union. It is responsible for enforcing professional standards amongst the National Police of the Arab Union via investigation and prosecution of misconduct and corruption amongst National Police personnel. Its offices are located on the seventh floor of the NPA headquarters on Tishreen Square in Ibrahimia, Nasser City.

The Professional Standards Directorate forms a hierarchy of 49 detectives (who are former senior National Police detectives) and 21 additional supporting constables: 7 units of 4 detective constables and 3 supporting constables answer to two of 12 detective sergeants (a sergeant and staff sergeant), who in turn answer to a single detective inspector; the 6 detective inspectors in turn answer to two superintendents (each responsible for 3 inspectors), who are themselves immediately answerable to the Director of Professional Standards (who is the senior commissioned detective). The Director of Professional Standards is appointed by and directly answerable to the NPA chair, and is considered the second most senior NPA member (the 20 individual directors of the 20 separate National Police services of each republic constitute the leadership of the NPA; they elect from amongst themselves the chair, who in turn appoints the Director of Professional Standards from amongst the same candidates).