Central Police Service (Byzatium)

The Central Police Service (Greek: Κεντρική Αστυνομική Υπηρεσία; Kentrikí Astynomikí Ypiresía; acronym: K.A.Y.) is the main civilian law enforcement and security service of the Byzantine Empire. Operating under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior, the K.A.Y. is also a member of the intelligence community.

The KAY is primarily a domestic agency, maintaining 70 field offices in major cities throughout the Empire, and close relations with the Provincial Police Forces.

History

In 1891, the General Office of Criminal Investigation was founded, providing agencies across the country with information to identify known criminals. The socialist and anarchist wave across the world left the Byzantine government deeply worried about a possible social revolution. In order to alleviate these fears, and to meet demands of the newly-established House of Representatives, Emperor Michael XII instructed the Commissioner General of Security Georgios Akropolites to organize an autonomous investigative service that would report only to Commissioner General of Security itself.

Akropolites reached out to other institutions, including the Imperial Guard, for personnel, investigators in particular. In 1908, Michael XII, in order to overcome the parliamentary resistance, established the Security Service. Security Service

The Security Service (Υπηρεσία Ασφαλείας; Ypiresía Asfaleías; YA) was created on 23 September 1908. Commissioner General Akropolites, using expense funds, hired around 50 people to work for a new investigative agency. Its first Chief was Sokratis Antheas.

Establishment of the Central Police Service

In 1932, the Security Service was renamed the General Security Service. The following year the General Security Service lost the criminal branch, which became the Central Police Service.

During the "War on Crime" of the 1930s, KAY targeted several criminal organisations who committed kidnappings, bank robberies, and murders throughout the Empire. Other activities of its early decades focused on the scope and influence of separatist groups across an Empire shaken by communist and fasicst pressures.

Mission

Primary jurisdiction of the Central Police Service includes coordinating cooperation between the KAY itself and provincial police forces; investigating judicial cases of international organized crime, terrorism and other cases related to national security; counterterrorism; the protection of federal witnesses. When requested by the respective provincial authorities or the minister of the interior, it also assumes direct responsibility for investigations in certain large-scale cases not directly pertaining to imperial matters.

The Central Police Service is responsible for investigating financial crime, white-collar crime, violent crime, organized crime, public corruption, violations of individual civil rights, and drug-related crime. In addition, the Central Police Service also oversees all computer-based crime related to and criminal threats against the Empire.