Law enforcement in Peru is carried out by two organizations under the direction of the Ministry of the Interior: The Peruvian National Police (, PNP), which acts as the national police force of Peru, and functions at both a state and local level. The Peruvian National Police acts mainly, according to Peruvian reglamented law, as a traffic control force. While it has other squadrons that nominally fight crime, the only effectively organized of them is Black Eagles, the bank security squadron. Watchmen Units (), which function as a dedicated municipal police force with limited jurisdiction on certain Peruvian cities and districts of Lima. Serenazgo officers have fewer legal powers than the National Police.
The majority of the police force is plagued by corruption.
History
The history of law enforcement in Peru dates back to the age of the Incan Empire and subsequent Viceroyalty of the Spanish Empire. The establishment of a police force as a separate institution, however, only took place after the country's war of independence, operating as part of the Peruvian Armed Forces alongside separate watchmen units between 1825 until the establishment of the Peru–Bolivian Confederation in 1839.
A police force known as the Civic Militia () was established in 1821 to keep public order. Its inspector general was José Bernardo de Tagle y Portocarrero, Marquis of Torre Tagle, who would later occupy the presidency of the country in 1823.
Under San Martín, the presidents of departmental governing bodies () were given the function of "police judges" (). As such their task was to oversee public morals and social progress in general. In 1822–23 police functions were organised under “commissioners” (Comisarios) and section leaders (Decuriones), with the support of the pre-existing neighbourhood leaders ( Alcaldes de Barrio). A secret police force, known as the Civil Brigade (Brigada Civil), also came into being at that time. Its mission was to identify those conspiring against independence, whose agents were infiltrating into the administrative structures of the new government, and even into the young armed forces.
The country's first constitution was promulgated in 1823, under the presidency of José Bernardo Tagle, and created three new ministries: Government and Foreign Relations (which took responsibility for policing), War and the Navy, and Finance. Although this constitution laid down that municipal councils should be in charge of the Policía de Orden, responsible for security and public order, it also included the Milicia Cívica and the Guardia de Policía as part of the land-based armed forces, together with the army. The Milicia Cívica would maintain “public security” within each province, while the Guardia de Policía would maintain “private security”, e.g. dealing with highway robbers, and prosecuting criminals.
In a decree issued on 7 January 1825, Simón Bolívar converted the Milicia Cívica into the Civil Forces (Fuerzas Civicas), with the task of ensuring public order within the provinces. The Civil Forces of the departamental capitals, modeled after the French National Guard, was staffed by soldiers released from army service and was organised on military lines; it remained part of the armed forces and constituted the army reserve. The 1826 constitution transferred police functions from municipal government (a relic of the viceroyal period) to the Ministry of Government, working through the prefectures and Intendencias. On 20 January 1827, during his first presidency, Andrés de Santa Cruz issued a provisional set of police regulations.
In 1834, under the presidency of Luis José de Orbegoso, the serenos (town watchmen) of the viceroyal period were re-constituted, now properly armed and in uniform. Soon afterwards, the “Arequipa regulations” created the posts of Inspector and Guard (Celador), and the Order and Internal Security Forces came under the superintendent of police in Lima, and under the sub-prefects in the provinces. Andrés de Santa Cruz's second administration (1836–1837) ordered increased security patrols nationwide, and the town level watchmen's detachments were cited during his term of office, previously, these detachments made up of paid watchmen mounted permanent surveillance duties.
In 1852, under José Rufino Echenique's presidency, the police forces were reorganized into one body, creating the Peruvian National Gendarmerie, which was activated on the same year. Like the National Guard, the Gendamerie was organized along military lines. The first Gendarmerie provisions were enacted in 1853 and 1855.