Origins

In 1866, the ruling general in Honduras, José María Medina made the "Law of Rural Police". A group of men were given powers similar to those of a Justice of the peace. This group of officers was later called the "Body of the Gendarmerie".

In December 1881, the president of the republic, Marco Aurelio Soto, instituted the "Police of the Line" in Tegucigalpa and Comayagüela. There was a Commandant, a sub-commander, an assistant, four sergeants, and five policemen.^[4]

On 15 January 1882, by order of President Marco Aurelio Soto, the National Police of Honduras was established. On 14 September 1888, the acting president, General Luis Bográn, issued a decree that a port police unit be formed. The new unit became operational on 1 January 1890.^[5]

In the 1930s, the first National Directorate of Criminal Investigation was formed and in 1933, a division of traffic policing was created.^[6]

Military rule

In 1957, government and military relations in Honduras began to deteriorate. In June 1959, the National Police of Honduras was replaced by the "Civil Guard", a paramilitary force with policing duties.^[4][7]

The 1963 Honduran coup d'état led by Colonel Arming Velásquez Cerrato and Oswaldo López Arellano removed President Ramón Villeda Morales from power. On 9 October 1963, the Special Security Corps (CES) was formed by Chief of State Arellano. The first director of the CES was General Alonzo Flores Guerra.^[8] Rural and highway patrol units were formed. In 1969, during the Football War (conflict between Honduras and El Salvador), the CES fought on the side of the Honduras army. In 1974, a unit for the policing of inland revenue was created.

On 30 January 1975, the CES was disbanded and "FUSEP", a public security force, was formed as a branch of the military. The officers of FUSEP were outfitted in green uniforms and armed with regulation 9mm Browning Hi-Power pistols and FN FAL (Rifle Automatique Léger) 7.62×51mm calibre NATO rifles.^[9]

Return to civil governance

From 1982, Honduras returned to civil rule and the police force was to be separated from the military. However, at the time, the police force kept some military characteristics. It operated under the auspices of the Office of National Defense and Public Security (SDNSP) and under the authority of the director of the FFAA, who was a representative of the president.^[10]

There was continuation of a National Directorate of Investigation (DNI). The commander-in-chief, a general, was a graduate of the General José Trinidad Cabañas National Police Academy of Honduras (ANAPO), and sometimes of the National Police University of Honduras (UNPH).^[11] On 4 January 1982, the Captain José Santos Guardiola Centre for Police Instruction (CIP-CJSG) (the Police Technical Institute (ITP-CJSG)) was established. In July 1984, the School for Qualification of Police Officials (ECOP) ("Upper Institute of Police Education" (ISEP)) was established.

In 1993, a new division, the Directorate General of Criminal Investigation (DGIC) was created.^[2] On 17 December 1996, by Decree Number 229-96, Congress ordered the transfer of the police force to civil control. The governing body was a board chaired by Hernán Corrales Padilla. The board members were lawyers Jorge Ponce Turcios, Francisco Cardona Argüelles, Germán Leitzelar Vidaurreta, Felipe Elvir Sierra, José Zamora Bados, and the engineer, Alfredo Landaverde.

On 28 May 1998, by Decree Number 156-98, the "Organic Law of the National Police" (LOPN) was created. The governing civil body was the Secretariat of State in the Dispatch of Security. The decree was administered by Hernán Corrales Padilla (1924 - 1999).^[12]

On 22 May 2012, the General Director of the Honduran National Police, Juan Carlos Bonilla Valladares, known as "El Tigre" was appointed.^[13] On 19 December 2013, Valladares left office, replaced by Ramón Antonio Sabillón Pineda.^[14][15]

In 1997, during the presidency of Carlos Roberto Reina, the Fuerza de Seguridad Pública, FUSEP (public security force) changed to civilian governance.^[16]

In 1998, the president, Carlos Roberto Flores, and the National Congress of Honduras, passed legislation that would establish a new National Police of Honduras. The new force was formed by 2001.

Accusations of involvement in drug trafficking

On April 30, 2020, DEA Special Operations Division Special Agent in Charge Wendy Woolcock and United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey S. Berman charged former chief of Honduran National Police Juan Carlos Bonilla Valladares, aka “El Tigre,” in a Manhattan federal court with drug trafficking and weapons offenses involving the use and possession of machineguns and destructive devices.^[17] Woolcock claimed that during his time of the chief of police, “Juan Carlos Bonilla Valladares allegedly used his high ranking position to influence those working for him and violently protect the politically connected drug traffickers who would smuggle cocaine destined for the United States.”^[17] It was revealed that Honduran law enforcement officials, as well as politicians, had been working with numerous drug traffickers in Honduras since 2003.^[17]

Dirección Nacional de la Policía Preventiva

The DNPP combats crimes related to organized crime, such as smuggling, fraud or tax evasion and implements police controls on taxes. It combats the production, use, possession and illegal trafficking of arms and drugs. It enforces the legal order of transportation, transit and roads, and exercises security functions in immigration matters.

The DNPP is managed by officers with a degree in Police Science. The officers receive an undergraduate degree from the National Police University of Honduras (UPNH), and the rank of Sub-Inspector of Police. The uniforms, patrol cars, Galil pistols and regulation rifles of the officers are colored blue.^[21] The division also has "Falcon" Bell 206 JetRanger helicopters at their disposal in an air unit.

Dirección Nacional de Investigación Criminal

The DNIC was developed with training and instructors from Scotland Yard (UK), Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration (US), and Mossad (Israel). This unit utilizes regulation weapons including the 9mm calibre Glock, the Remington shotgun, and the IMI Galil rifle. A Director General and a representative of the Public Ministry of Honduras work together as heads of the DNIC. A forensic physician from the Faculty of Forensic Sciences is associated with the DNIC.

Within the DNIC unit is the DGIC unit (DPI). It drafts eighteen-year-old men and women who have just completed secondary or university education to become detectives. The head of the unit is an officer of the rank of commissioner or an inspector.^[22]

Each unit also has agents who are crime scene technicians, crime scene investigators, violent crime scene technicians, analysts, ballistic analysts, specialists in reconstruction, field inspection, computer crime, drug related crime and graphics and drafting.^[23]

Special units