The National Police is the national civilian police force of Niger. The National Police are under the Ministry of Interior, Public Safety and Decentralization and report to the General Directorate of National Police. They are responsible for law enforcement in urban areas, the protection of government buildings and institutions, and the security of government leaders. Niger's gendarmerie, the Gendarmerie Nationale, is a separate agency under the Niger Armed Forces, and are responsible for policing in rural areas. The National Police numbered approximately 5,000 in 2014. The Niger police emergency number is 17. The National Police sponsor a semi-professional football club, AS Police, which plays in the Super Ligue.

Organization

The General Directorate of the National Police (Direction Générale de la Police nationale - DGPN) is the highest structure of the National Police of Niger and is headed by Director-General (Directeur Général de la Police Nationale) Souley Boubacar. The General Directorate of the National Police is subdivided in 9 directorates. The directorates are:

Criticism

Foreign governments have accused the National Police of being poorly trained, equipped, and corrupt. The United States Department of State has alleged that Nigerien police officers commonly ask victims of crimes to pay them for assistance when called, that police may not actually respond to calls for service, and that police take a very long time to respond. The National Police's vehicles have also been criticized for lacking basic necessities such as fuel.