Selected records of the police of the region of Silesia Policja Województwa Śląskiego (Sygn. 38/0)

The collection contains selected records from the files produced by the Head Command of the Police of Region of Silesia and some of the County Police Commands. They cover the following matters: orders and resolutions of the superior authorities, situation reports, searches, inquiries and arrests of the delinquents, information about the social and political events, especially relating to the German minorities and communist movement, and information about the political parties and associations. Copyright Holder: Naczelna Dyrekcja Archiwów Państwowych The Silesian Voivodeship Police started operating in June 1922 immediately after Poland's part of Upper Silesia was granted to it. The matter of competence and organization of the police authorities was established by the ordinance of June 17, 1922, regarding the organization of the Silesian Voivodeship Police. It stated that the voivodship police is an organization of the security service and has the task of maintaining security, peace and public order, and in this respect is the executive body of the voivodeship administration authorities. Organizationally, the police were adapted to the administrative division of the province, divided into the Main Police Headquarters of the Silesian Province with headquarters in Katowice, poviat and city headquarters (for cities constituting poviats), police stations in cities and larger municipalities or districts of larger cities, and posts in municipalities and smaller cities. In the field of organization, administration, supply, weaponry and training, the voivodship police was subordinate to the chief commandant, while in the area of security service and executive actions of administrative authorities subordinated to the voivode, and in poviats - starosts, in the districts for which police directorates were established (Katowice, Chorzów), Bielsko) - police directors. The above regulation also regulated the attitude of the police to the judiciary. It established that in the investigation of crimes, the police are directly dependent on the judiciary; Prosecutor's offices and judicial authorities have the right to directly issue orders to the police in accordance with the criminal proceedings laws. [Source: Based on description from the source Archives]