Vatican City: police & security agencies
01 January 1991
Vatican City: police & security agencies
bacdoc July=1995
The information in this country file was first published in the
handbook "Statewatching the new Europe" (November 1993). It was
compiled by Peter Klerks and extracted from a longer report which
is available from: The Domestic Security Research Foundation, PO
Box 11178, 1001 GD, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Vatican City
0.438km², 778 inhabitants.
The Vatican employs circa 4,000 functionaries; Vatican City
yearly receives hundreds of thousands of visitors. It is the
smallest independent state in the world.
Long-form name: State of the Vatican City; note--the Vatican City
is the physical seat of the Holy See, which is the central
government of the Roman Catholic Church
Type: monarchical-sacerdotal state
Capital: Vatican City
Constitution: Apostolic Constitution of 1967 (effective 1 March
1968)
Executive branch: pope
Legislative branch: unicameral Pontifical Commission
Judicial branch: none; normally handled by Italy
Police structures
De Vigilanza is the Vatican's police force (most of this
paragraph draws on Göbel 1990 and Semerak 1989). Its prerogatives
partly overlap with those of the 100-strong traditional Guardia
Svizzera, which forms the Pope's honorary guard but has also
regular guarding responsibilities over the Vatican's premises.
Although the Vigilanza also carries out criminal investigations
(crimes of course are only committed by visitors, not by the
actual inhabitants of the Roman Church's HQ), the more serious
cases such as murder investigations and the occasional
assassination attempt are taken over by the Italian authorities,
with which the Vigilanza has an excellent working relationship.
According to Andrade (1985: 229) the policing of St Peter's
Square is entrusted to the Italian Polizia di Stato.
Recruits for the Vigilanza must be of high moral and religious
standards, at least 175 cm tall and not over 25. The basic
training is two years, in which religious studies feature
prominently on the curriculum.
Chief of the Vigilanza is the Capo Ufficio, who is responsible
for discipline and training and who reports daily to the Pope's
general secretary's office. His second in command, the Vice Capo
Ufficio bears responsibility for personnel management and
logistics and the third man, the Sovrastante sees to it that day-
to-day operations are coordinated and carried out.
Vigilanza personnel carry pistols, except when on duty in St
Peter's Church. The Swiss Guard is normally equipped with a
traditional halberd, but for special occasions firearms and
teargas are at its disposal.
Source: Statewatch database on the WWW