Argentine Federal Police
| Argentine Federal Police Policía Federal Argentina | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | PFA |
| Motto | Al Servicio de la Seguridad de Estado To serve the community |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | December 24, 1943 |
| Preceding agencies |
|
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Federal agency (Operations jurisdiction) | Argentina |
| Operations jurisdiction | Argentina |
| Legal jurisdiction | As per operations jurisdiction |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Departamento Central de Policía, 1650 Moreno Street, Montserrat, Buenos Aires |
| Sworn members | 25,000 |
| Agency executives |
|
| Website | |
| argentina.gob.ar/policiafederal | |
| The Policía Federal Argentina, while a federal agency, also provides direct policing to the capital city Buenos Aires | |
The Argentine Federal Police (Spanish: Policía Federal Argentina or PFA) is the national civil police force of the Argentine federal government. It has federal operating units in all provinces and in the City of Buenos Aires.
It was created on December 24, 1943, and began operating on January 1, 1945. It investigates national crimes and regularly works in conjunction with provincial police forces. From its creation until December 31, 2016, it also served as the local police force in the city of Buenos Aires. On that date, it was replaced in those functions by the Policia de la Ciudad (City Police), formed by merging some PFA superintendencies with the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Police.
Organization
The PFA is responsible for investigating crimes that encompass the jurisdiction of the entire national territory, as well as crimes exclusively within the federal scope, including drug trafficking, money laundering, environmental crimes, and human trafficking.
It also has a Criminal Intelligence Unit, as well as the University Institute of the Argentine Federal Police, which provides university training in law, criminology, and security, among other areas of study.
Police ranks
Officer Ranks (in descending order)
| Rank | Approximate English translation | Badge of rank |
|---|---|---|
| Comisario General - Jefe de Policia | Superintendent-General / Commissioner-General - Chief of Police | Four gold pips above a gold band & wreath |
| Comisario General | Superintendent-General or Commissioner-General | Three gold pips above a gold band & wreath |
| Comisario Mayor | Superintendent-Major or Commissioner-Major | Two gold pips above a gold band & wreath |
| Comisario Inspector | Superintendent-Inspector or Commissioner-Inspector | One gold pip above a gold band & wreath |
| Comisario | Superintendent or Commissioner | Two gold pips above a gold band |
| Subcomisario | Sub-commissioner | One gold pip above a gold band |
| Oficial Principal | Principal Officer | Three silver pips |
| Oficial Inspector | Inspector Officer (or just Inspector) | Two silver pips |
| Oficial Sub-Inspector | Sub-inspector Officer (or just Sub-Inspector) | One silver pip above one gold pip |
| Oficial Ayudante | Adjutant Officer or Assistant Officer | One silver pip |
Sub-Officer Ranks (in descending order)
| Rank | Approximate English translation | Badge of rank |
|---|---|---|
| Suboficial Mayor | Senior Sub-Officer | Four chevrons above an Austrian knot |
| Suboficial Auxiliar | Auxiliary Sub-Officer | Three chevrons above three arcs |
| Suboficial Escribiente | Clerk Sub-Officer or Administrative Sub-Officer or Staff Sub-Officer | Three chevrons above two arcs |
| Sargento Primero | First Sergeant | Three chevrons above an arc |
| Sargento | Sergeant | Three chevrons |
| Cabo Primero | First Corporal | Two chevrons |
| Cabo | Corporal | One chevron |
| Agente / Bombero | Officer / Fireman | |
| Aspirante | Candidate or Cadet |
Other websites
- Official website (in Spanish)