# Military Police (Kazakhstan)

The Military Police of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan (Kazakh: Қазақстан Республикасы Қарулы Күштері Әскери полициясы, Russian: Военная полиция Вооруженных Сил Республики Казахстан) is the military police branch of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It falls under the direct command of the Main Directorate of the Military Police under the Ministry of Defense. The military police are special military units that are organizationally part of the armed forces and other security agencies to carry out the functions of ensuring law and order in these bodies just like the civilian police.
The military police is under the joint jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Security Committee, all of which manage the activities of the military police.

## History

The first military police units were established in accordance with the directive of General of the army Mukhtar Altynbayev on March 6, 1997. Its purpose was to regulate military traffic, and maintain law and order in the Armed Forces, since military discipline is essential to ensure state national security.
It was established in accordance with a presidential decree signed by President Nursultan Nazarbayev on 22 April 1997. This was done as part of a reform the system of national law enforcement agencies within Kazakhstan, which had only declared its independence six months before.
Two years later, military police units were formed as part of the Border Service of the National Security Committee and the Internal Troops of Kazakhstan. Official rules and regulations were first brought into the military police in February 2005. In 2009, it was reported that as a result of the work carried out by the military police, the armed forces saw a more than 20% reduction in crime.

## Tasks

The main tasks of the military police of Kazakhstan are:
* To ensure law and order in the military
* To implement internal control over the organization of the daily activities in garrison services in military units of the military
* To detect and disclose crimes and offenses within the framework of Kazakh law
* To identify circumstances contributing to the commission of crimes and offenses
* To produce a pre-trial investigation in accordance with the criminal procedure legislation of the country
* To ensure the road safety of vehicles of the national security agencies and the military
* To detain servicemen in connection with violations of civilian and military law
* To implement the use of relevant documents and state registration plates and conduct mandatory technical inspection of motor vehicles registered with the military police
Additionally, there are a couple more tasks that specifically pertain to the military police of the National Security Committee:
* The investigation of criminal offenses committed by military personnel
* The protection of facilities of the NSC including warehouses that store weapons, special equipment, security systems and other technical means, as well as ensuring access control and internal facility regimes

## Structure

Today, the Military Police of Kazakhstan consists of the following assets:.
* 4 military police units
* 16 regional divisions
* 4 divisions
* Training Center for military police

## Uniform

The overall uniform of the military police consists of the following variants:
* Full dress uniform
* Casual uniform
* Combat uniform
All three have a summer and winter version to accommodate any type of weather. The dress uniform is black and consists of a peaked cap (or an ushanka during a winter) trousers, a black tie and a ceremonial belt of golden color, along with leather and white gloves. This uniform is worn during military parades and official functions. The casual uniform, which is worn on a daily basis, utilizes a Military beret and/or Papakha for headgear. The combat uniform consists of all camouflage clothing items, and is worn during regular duties.

## Commanders

* Major General Shamil Khakimov (?)
* Major General Timur Dandybaev (2011-2017)
* Colonel Marat Nurymbet (2020-present)