Swiss Association of City Police Chiefs
The Swiss Association of City Police Chiefs (SSPA) is the umbrella organization for the chiefs of the city and municipal police in Switzerland . It was founded in 1920 and since then has been run according to the so-called suburb principle, ie its functionaries have a limited term of office and the governing bodies meet alternately at different locations throughout Switzerland.
The organization in different cantons
In Switzerland, the cantons have police sovereignty . Most cantons delegate some of their police powers to their cities and municipalities.
Around one hundred leading organs of Swiss city and local police are united in the SSPA. They deal in particular with the prevention and fight against urban crime. Your work philosophy is based on the findings of community policing (Switzerland) . The SSPA jointly looks for solutions for the management of public spaces and cooperation with partner organizations such as the cantonal police, social services or fire brigade and civil protection.
Canton Aargau : At the beginning of the new millennium, the Aargau government formed regional police forces, each of which centered on former city police forces: Wettingen, Baden, Aarau, Lenzburg and Zofingen. In addition, there is the new Fricktal. As of January 1, 2014, 17 Aargau regional police forces will be constituted.
Canton of Basel-Landschaft : In addition to several municipalities such as Bubendorf, the main town of Liestal in particular hasits own police organization.
Canton of Bern : In a referendum on March 11, 2007, the Bernese people decided that from January 1, 2008, there would only be one police force. The Bern City Police was thus integrated into the cantonal police corps on January 1, 2008. Since 2011, all communal corps in the canton of Bern have been united in the Police Bern unified police (the Bern canton police).
Canton of Graubünden : In this large, heavily compartmentalized canton, communal autonomy is very important, and so is police sovereignty within the canton. Bündner City Police Corps: Chur (Coira) and St. Moritz.
Canton of Jura : Both the capital Delsberg (Delémont) and Pruntrut (Porrentruy) have their own organizations.
Canton of Lucerne At the end of 2009, the canton police of Lucerne and the police corps of the city of Lucerne merged to form the Lucerne Police.
Canton of St. Gallen The city of St. Gallen has an independent police force anchored in the cantonal constitution.
Canton of Solothurn : Since 2005, the government has been calling for a unified police force. This idea was abandoned in 2009, the cities did not want to relinquish their police skills. As of January 2010, the Solothurn cantonal police force will be streamlined, the Solothurn and Grenchen city police forces will remain in place; The Olten City Police was integrated into the Solothurn Canton Police on January 1, 2016.
Canton Ticino (Ticino): Lugano, Locarno, Bellinzona and several municipalities have their own corps.
Canton of Vaud (Vaud): The Vaudois vote on the creation of a unified police force on September 27, 2009 failed: the inner-cantonal police federalism is being reorganized into inter-communal police organizations, but the communal police powers are largely retained. The city of Lausanne leads the most important corps. Other Vaudois corps are, for example, the Lausanne-Est and -Ouest, des Chablais Vaudois and Nord-Vaudois police forces.
Canton of Wallis (Valais): In the fragmented mountain canton there are numerous municipal police forces. Urban corps are Sion (Sion), Martigny, Siders (Sierre), Crans-Montana, Visp (Viège) and Brig.
Canton of Zurich : In 2001 the electorate rejected the creation of a unified police force. Since then, in addition to the canton police, the Zurich city police and the Winterthur city police have been operating in accordance with the Police Organization Act of 2006. In addition, around forty other city and community policeforces, including that of Uster, operateon their communal territories.
The exact number of constituted Swiss city and community police forces cannot be given, the rules and organizations are too different. The fact is, however, that the Swiss Association of City Police Chiefs has around a hundred members.
The counterpart to the SSPA is the Conference of Cantonal Police Commanders in Switzerland ( KKPKS ). The incumbent president of the SSPA is also a member of the board of the KKPKS and is responsible for the urban security department.
SSPA board
- President: Ralph Hurni, Commander of the St. Gallen City Police
- Deputy President: Pierre-Alain Raemy, Commander of the Lausanne City Police
Former SSPA presidents
- 2013 to 2016 Fritz Lehmann, Commander of the Winterthur City Police;
- 2010 to 2013 Roberto Torrente, Commander of the Lugano City Police;
- 2007 to 2010 Pius Valier, Commander of the St. Gallen City Police;
- 2004 to 2007 Gérard Hagenlocher, Commander of the Lausanne City Police;
- 2001 to 2004 Philipp Hotzenköcherle, Commander of the Zurich City Police .