Police Day
Several nations observe or formerly observed a Police Day to recognize the professional holiday or anniversary of their national police force.
By country
Armenia
Celebrated on 16 April, Police Workers Day in Armenia commermorates personnel of the Police of Armenia. It was first celebrated in 2002 and was introduced year earlier by the National Assembly of Armenia. The 2011 Law "On Police Duties" was also passed on that same day. Traditionally, the President of Armenia and/or the Prime Minister of Armenia receives the salute at a ceremony in the Yerevan police headquarters.Bulgaria
The Day of the Police of Bulgaria is celebrated in the country on 8 November. It commermorates the National Police Service. It was celebrated for the first time on 21 November 1924 but was interrupted after the 1944 Bulgarian coup d'état. At the suggestion of the National Police Service in 1994, 8 November was declared a national holiday once again. By decision of the Council of Ministers of Bulgaria on 29 January 1999, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church holiday of Saint Michael was declared a professional holiday of the employees of the Ministry of Interior.Canada
In Canada, Police and Peace Officers National Memorial Day honors of members of Canadian law enforcement on the last Sunday in September. On 24 September 1998, the Governor General of Canada Roméo LeBlanc, declared that day to be an official holiday. The country also celebrates Police Week, having been observed originally in 1970 as a catalyst for police-community relations. Annually in the province of Manitoba, February 1 is celebrated as "Royal Canadian Mounted Police Day".China
The Day of the People's Armed Police is celebrated on 19 June in China. It commemorates the date, after numerous reorganizations and the sharing of power between the People's Liberation Army and the Ministry of Public Security, the People's Armed Police was created on 19 June 1982.Egypt
National Police Day in Egypt occurs each year on 25 January. The holiday commemorates and is a remembrance for 50 police officers killed and more wounded when they refused British demands to hand over weapons and evacuate the Ismaïlia Police Station on 25 January 1952.Georgia
In Georgia, 6 May was declared as Police Day in 2010, which coincides with St. George's day and the Day of the Adjarian Revolution. In 2011, a Police Parade was held in the city of Batumi, seeing the participation of several thousand officers. Since the ousting of President Mikheil Saakashvili, the holiday has been celebrated on 31 May.Latvia
The Day of the Latvian State Police is celebrated on 5 December. It is founding date of the police when the newly-proclaimed transitional government of, the People's Council of Latvia, approved the Temporary Regulations on the Internal Security Organization, created regulations for the structure of the police and its jurisdiction under the Ministry of the Interior.Poland
On July 24 every year, the Polish Policja celebrates its Police Day as a public holiday, having been in existence since 1995.The timeline of previous Police Days are as follows:
- 24 July
- 7 October
- 6 April
- 24 July
Romania
In Romania, Police Day takes place on 25 March. It was introduced by the Romanian Parliament in April 2002 as a commemoration of the flag of the Romanian Police. The choice of this date is related to the symbol of the Annunciation on the first banner of the Great Ages. In 1822, Prince Grigore IV Ghica of Wallachia handed to the banner to Mihăiţă Filipescu the flag on which the sign of the Flag of Agia Maria is sewn.Russia/Former USSR
is the term to refer to the Police Day of the Russian Police and personnel the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. It was first introduced Chairman Leonid Brezhnev in 1962, and was made an official holiday in October 1980. Since 2000, the President of Russia has given the keynote address in the State Kremlin Palace in front of police officers and interior ministry officials. In many former Soviet republics, the holiday is celebrated in a similar manner to the Russians, but may however be celebrated on different days or called different things. Despite this, the most common reference to this Police Day is the Russian language translation День полиции, meaning Day of the Police or Day of the Militsiya in English. The latter was used as the name of the Russian holiday until the adoption of President Dmitry Medvedev's Russian police reform in March 2011.Serbia
The Day of the Serbian Police and Interior Ministry is celebrated on 12 June. Also known as Serbian MUP Day, they are celebrated in the memory of the events in 1862 when the Serbian Gendarmery of the Principality of Serbia played the crucial role in the conflicts in the Čukur Fountain incident in Belgrade on June 15. Over the next two days, the Ottoman bombing of Belgrade occurred.Policemen and women often parade before the Interior Minister and/or the President of Serbia during the holiday. The parade includes hardware, police aviation, mounted cavalry, as well as an exhibition of law enforcement strength. Wreaths are laid at the Čukur Fountain by MUP officials. Medals for diligent service are also distributed to MUP personnel.
Singapore
The Singapore Police Force celebrates its police day on June 3. It annually hosts a Police Day parade at the Home Team Academy presided by the Minister of Home Affairs and/or the President of Singapore. Various police units including the National Police Cadet Corps participate in PDP. Award presentations for categories such as the "Best Land Division" or "Best National Service Operationally Ready Unit".Thailand
In Thailand, National Police Day is celebrated on 13 October in honor of the Royal Thai Police. This was the day of the announcement of the "Department of Patrol" and "Provincial Police Department" in Siam in 1915. The first official police day ceremony was held on 13 October 1949, which continued as a practice until 1957, after which the parade ceremony was suspended On Police Day in 1952, a ceremony of police officers in front of Bhumibol Adulyadej took place at Dusit Palace Palace with a Presentation of Colours ceremony took place. In 2016, National Police Day was not celebrated on its normal date due to the passing of Rama IX that same day.Ukraine
celebrates National Police Day on 4 July. It commemorates the suspension of law enforcement duties by the Ukrainian Militsiya and the establishment of the National Police of Ukraine. It also coincides with the first oath of patrol policemen on Sofia Square in Kyiv. The holiday was introduced and first celebrated in August 2015 and was celebrated on that day ever since until President Petro Poroshenko by decree on 4 April 2018 declared that National Police Day be celebrated annually on 4 July, and become a national holiday.United Kingdom
The United Kingdom celebrates annually National Police Memorial Day in honor of its fallen policemen. It was inaugurated by Joe Holness, following the killing of Kent police officer Jon Odell, in December 2000. It is an official national day and is celebrated throughout the 4 constituent countries. The NPMD is sponsored by the British Government and the Royal Family of the United Kingdom, with Charles, Prince of Wales even becoming patron in 2006. It commemorated on 29 September, the day Odell was killed.United States
Peace Officers Memorial Day is observed in the United States on 15 May to pay tribute to the local, state, and federal law enforcement officers who have died/or permanently disabled, in the line of duty. It also coincides with National Police Week is the calendar week in which the memorial falls. The event is sponsored by the National Fraternal Order of Police and includes an annual Blue Mass, a drill competition, a Wreath Laying Ceremony and a National Police Survivors Conference.On January 9, citizens help commemorate National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day.