Law enforcement in Mava

Mava Mines and Properties Police
Agency overview
Formed	April 1, 1961
Jurisdiction	Mava Islands Commercial Enterprises Organisation
Agency executive	Geraldo Seabra., Chief of Police;
Parent department	Families, Communities, and Lifelong Learning Department; Mava Islands Commercial Enterprises Organisation
Website	https://mmpp.mv

Mava General Police
Agency overview
Formed	April 1, 1961
Jurisdiction	Mava Council
Agency executive	Cristian Moliner, Chief of Police;
Parent department	Families, Communities, and Lifelong Learning Department
Website	https://sia.mv

Law enforcement in Mava, a sui generis territory of Atitlan, is the responsibility of local policing units overseen by Mava Council, with Atitlanese federal police responsible for territorial security and coastal policing. Domstic policing falls under the authority of the Families, Communities, and Lifelong Learning Department, overseen by a member of Mava Council's cabinet.

The primary police force, although not the largest, is Mava General Police, which undertakes general law enforcement duties. Mava Mines and Properties Police is a semi-private police force responsible for the policing of mines and commercial properties, whilst the Atitlanese Coastal Police's Mava Division undertakes many of the duties of a coast guard.

History

Mava General Police was formed on 1 January 1964. Prior to its formation, the Mava Islands Police Force (Almagrian: Policía de las Islas Mava; PdlIM) undertook policing duties alongside the Atitlanese armed forces stationed in the islands. The PdlIM was itself founded in 1893 and was under federal control, with, with the majority of its officers being Atitlanese and a large number coopted from the military.

Under the Government of Mava Act 1928, a new Mava Police Constabulary was created as a solely civillian force and with the aim of encouraging native Maveans to join. With the creation of the Mava Islands Council the following year, some responsibilities for the force were devolved to the council, although only a small number of its members were ethnic Mavean.

The Mava Organic Act 1963 granted the newly-renamed Mava Council with greater policing powers. In response to the specific policing needs of mining contractors and other commercial enterprises, the council petitioned the federal government for the creation of new bodies to meet new law enforcement needs. On 1 January 1964, the Mava Police Constabulary was abolished and replaced by Mava General Police and Mava Mines and Properties Police, the former assuming general policing duties and the latter a specialised force.

Mava General Police

Mava General Police (Mavean: Maava Saakiakaapagik (SIA), lit. "Mava General law enforcement group"; Almagrian: Policía General de Mava) is the most prominent police force on the islands and is responsible for the majority of law enforcement duties. It's responsibilities include the protection of life, rights, security, and prevention and detection of crimes and misdemeanours. It currently has approximately fifty officers, drawn from the several ethnic communities living in the islands.

Chiefs of Police

As of November 2022, the Chief Officer is Cristian Moliner.

The chief officers of Mava General Police have been:

Enrique Bielsa (1964-1966)
Julen Villarreal (1966-1971)
Javier Cueva (1971-1980)
Nil Navarra (1980-1986)
Cesar Vaquero (1986-1990)
Nicolas Álvarez (1990-2001)
Juan Canales (2001-2006)
Cristian Ferrón (2006-2010)
Arturo Zamorano (2010-2014)
Jose Bolea (2014-2020)
Julen Herrera (2020-2022)
Cristian Moliner (2022-present)

Mava Mines and Properties Police

Mava Mines and Properties Police (MPP) is a specialist force responsible for the policing of mines and commercial properties. Unlike the general police, officers of the MPP are commonly private employees of commercial organisations who are given formal policing powers for the duration of their service. Formally they are considered civil servants but are paid by their commercial employer and are responsible only for the policing of specific areas and operations.

The Mava Islands Commercial Enterprises Organisation, which brings together all foreign businesses and mining companies in the islands, is responsible for appointing (with the approval of the government) a chief of police to oversee the force and to coordinate its operations. The current Chief of Police, since 19 April 2023, is Geraldo Seabra.

Uniforms and equipment

MPP officers wear similar uniforms to their collegues in the General Police, including both their formal and working uniforms. There are, however, some differences between the two forces that serve to distinguish the two and to avoid confusion. Epaulettes are black and blue and feature different wording, whilst some of their uniform is tailored to the terrain of mines, including steel toe-capped boots and helmets.

MPP officers are more likely to be armed than their General Police counterparts and also wear stab-resistant vests.

Rank structure

General Police

The rank structure of Mava General Police is as shown below. The ranks closely follow those common amongst Atitlanese police forces, although there are differences in nomenclature and the number of ranks.

Ranks of Mava General Police
Rank	Chief Officer	Deputy Chief Officer	Intendant	Captain	Sergeant	Officer
Insignia

Mines and Properties Police

The rank structure of Mava Mines and Properties Police are the same as those of the General Police, although the epaulettes are different. Unlike the General Police, which includes Mavean, Almagrian, and Anglish on the epaulettes, the MMPP uses only Anglish.