page_title: Law enforcement in Syria
section_title: Police system
hierarchical_section_title: Law enforcement in Syria / Police system
caption_attribution_description: Nederlands: Syrië politie
context_page_description: Law enforcement in Syria is carried out by police forces for general policing duties; internal security duties are carried out by several intelligence agencies. The Political Security Directorate is one of these agencies and is under the guidance of the Ministry of Interior. The Directorate operates independently and generally outside the control of the legal system to repress internal dissent and monitor individual citizens. Syria has been an INTERPOL member since 1953. Since the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War, much of Syria has been outside the control of the Syrian government. Currently, the Asayish are responsible for policing in Rojava, the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Police in areas under the Turkish occupation of northern Syria, and various Syrian opposition groups around Idlib
  The Ministry of Interior controls the Internal Security Forces. There are also other specialized organizations, such as the special metropolitan police in Damascus, the Gendarmerie for control in rural areas and the Desert Guard for border control. General Nasser Deeb is the head of the Criminal Security Directorate.
context_section_description: According to the official website of the Ministry of Interior, its task are limited to the protection and enforcement of security. Alongside with other Directorates, the Ministry of Interior controls the Internal Security Forces, through the Criminal Security Directorate, which are organised into at four separate divisions of police forces under a Director General: Administrative Police, Traffic Police (whose official Day is on 4 May), Criminal Investigations, and Riot police, as well as a fanfare and the Khan al-Asal Police Academy. The Internal Security Forces are part of the Ministry of Interior but makes uses of military ranks. Also specialist organizations exist.
caption: A Syrian police car bonnet, showing the official emblem.
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