Opinion (Rogério COPETO / Official GNR): GNR-AN INTEGRAL POLICE +.
One possible definition of "Integral Police", It may be the one that in its area of action exercises powers of Community Policing / Proximity, Public Order and Criminal Investigation.
Rogério COPETO
Lieutenant Colonel of the GNR
Master in Law and Security and Homeland Security Auditor
Head of the Education Division / Command Doctrine and Training
The term "Integral Police" has been used in recent years to differentiate the GNR and PSP, the remaining forces and security services (FSS), as referred to at the beginning of this article, play in their area of jurisdiction of the Community Policing skills / Proximity, Public Order and Criminal Investigation.
But that does not mean that its territorial area, can not be other FSS, carrying on the same or part of those powers, simply meaning that, to be a "Integral Police", there is the legitimacy to exercise the powers of Community Policing / Proximity, Public Order and Criminal Investigation, throughout the territory on which the FSS in question has jurisdiction.
However there can not be a part of that territory, where these skills are in the hands of other FSS, thus having operational autonomy in their area of jurisdiction, i.e, not requiring any other FSS to perform the tasks assigned to them.
According to the Organic Law of GNR, this has a police nature and a military headquarters, finding its positioning between the Armed Forces (DOES) and the remaining FSS, allowing you to, in addition to the exercise of Homeland Security functions, collaborate in the implementation of the National Defense policy, in cooperation with the branches of the FA.
The thus positions GNR, as a premier institution in the national response on security and defense and its mission, in national security and protection systems, ensuring democratic legality, guarantee internal security and the rights of citizens and cooperate with the execution of the National Defense policy.
For carrying out their daily activities, performs policing duties proximity / community, of public policy, criminal investigation, of traffic, protection and safety of persons and property, protection of nature and the environment, protection and rescue, tax and customs action, Status of honor, international cooperation and national defense.
For the above in the preceding paragraphs, easily started hearing some forums the term "Integral Police More", GNR to differentiate PSP, because in addition to the three competencies identified at the start, GNR still plays powers of protection and rescue, and national defense.
However, there are those who do not agree to anything that was mentioned above, as is the case of Colonel Infantry GNR, Carlos Manuel Gervasio White, that in his article "police integrals", notes that in Portugal there can be no "Integral Police" force because the pluralist model, being that existence is possible only in a "Integral Police" in a one-tier system, ie where there is a single police, and not where there are several FSS with police functions, as is the Portuguese case and for which they are distributed different duties and responsibilities.
Colonel Gervais White still justifies the GNR and PSP are not a "Integral Police", why "do not exhaust the police Portuguese model and its duties and powers, They may not be integral for the remaining components of the system", "because one of them, only functionally is a police, a GNR” e “because even among both, There is complete coincidence of missions and tasks, having its own powers of each, as necessarily follows the dual model, embodied in the principle of complementarity".
And despite the exercise of the powers conferred on the GNR and PSP in the respective area of territorial "there remain some missions that regardless of the geographical area, They are performed only by a, maximizing in this way the specific features and capabilities of each force, the result of the principles of complementarity and mutual support, inherent to the characterization of the dual model".
Presented Colonel Gervais White as an example of these missions the powers on the PSP "under the personal safety, members of state bodies and bodies of high or GNR, as the supervision and traffic planning in all key national network and complementary", It is the military nature of the GNR and PSP civil "that dictate the differentiation of missions, areas of responsibility, the means and the resources will be allocated to them and also differentiate the statutes of its elements".
Not being so "random distribution of tasks between areas or GNR and PSP, because contrary to the qualification of "whole police" seemed to believe, we are dealing with two distinct bodies their identities", fitting the PSP "surveillance and policing where the concentration of people is higher, in areas of high population density"And GNR"all missions that have connection with sovereignty issues, such as surveillance of the whole territory, focussing on the main communication routes, border and sensitive points; the security of the sites and buildings of strategic interest, the headquarters of state bodies and diplomatic missions in the country and abroad, when threat or risk; and alternative, safety areas of lesser density".
Having regard to the principle of complementarity mentioned above, Colonel Gervais White argues that "even in areas of responsibility of the PSP, remains in overlap, the presence of the GNR that in addition to the protection of sensitive points, It should act as a 2nd level of intervention, when the resources of the civil police have been exhausted or are insufficient, in view of the gravity of the threat or the means to be used, why the weapons and equipment of both forces, It should also be partly, different".
So, by foregoing the author claims that the term "Integral police" can not be used to differentiate the GNR and PSP of the remaining FSS, because the use of this designation helps "disrespect for differences between the two forces and their missions, in addition to subvert the two-tier model, It will be generating conflicts and rivalries, where unnecessary duplication can only generate waste".
But in light of what was the exercise of the different powers of the GNR and PSP in recent years, It leads us to agree with those who use the term "Integral Police" should not be used to differentiate the GNR and PSP of the remaining FSS and others who hold the designation of "Integral Police" to identify the PSP and " police Integral More "for GNR.
