Safety – Police – Municipal Police
The protection of internal public order and safety is provided by the police and the municipal police.
Police
Emergency number - 997
The main tasks of the police include guarding the observance of law and prosecution of offenders, as well as ensuring protection and assistance in crisis situations, both with regard to people and property. Among other things, policemen have the right to:
• check people’s IDs in order to determine their identity (with justified reasons);
• conduct a personal inspection, as well as check the contents of baggage and check cargo in ports and at railway stations, as well as in road, air and water transport vehicles, in the case of a justified suspicion that an offence punishable by law has been committed;
• apprehend imprisoned persons who, having been on a pass from prison, have not returned to the Penal Institution or custody on the date indicated;
• detain persons who create a threat to human life or health, and to property.
When carrying out their duties, they may apply the following coercive measures: handcuffs, police truncheon, straitjacket, irritant gas or financial penalties, the so-called fines.
FINES
During a road traffic control, policemen may issue a fine e.g. for the exceeding of the speed limit up to 10 km/h – PLN 30, and PLN 500 in the situation where the speed limit has been exceed by 51 km/h and more.
Transporting number of passengers exceeding the number of seats in the registration document – PLN 100
Driving without lights required by law – from PLN 80 to 200
Violation of the no parking sign – PLN 100
Overtaking on pedestrian crossings or directly before them – PLN 400
Overtaking a privileged vehicle within a built-up area – PLN 300
You can always negotiate the value of the fine with the policeman, but the negotiations are not always successful.
Municipal Police
Emergency number - 986
A formation created by the municipal or community council, whose task is to protect public order within a city or local community.
The tasks of the municipal police include in particular protection of order in public places, as well as protection of municipal and public utility facilities. Their duties also include keeping order and controlling road traffic (to the extent specified in the road traffic regulations, much narrower than in the case of the police). They cooperate with relevant entities with regard to saving the life and health of citizens, assistance in removing technical failures and effects of natural disasters and other local threats. They often cooperate with organisers and other services in keeping order during meetings and public events. They take intoxicated people to detoxification detention centres or their places of residence if those persons’ behaviour causes a scandal in a public place or if they are in a situation which poses a threat to their or other people's life or health.
