Haitian National Police
| Haitian National Police Police Nationale d'Haïti | |
|---|---|
| Common name | Police nationale |
| Abbreviation | PNH |
| Motto | Proteger et Servir Protect and Serve |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 12 June, 1995 |
| Employees | 13,500 (2025) |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| National agency | Haiti |
| Operations jurisdiction | Haiti |
| Size | 27,750 km² |
| Population | 11.9 million |
| Governing body | Cabinet of Haiti |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Port-au-Prince, Haiti |
| Minister responsible |
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| Agency executive |
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| Facilities | |
| Cars | Fiat Siena, Dodge Ram, Nissan Frontier, Lenco Bearcat, Toyota Landcruiser, Roschel senator |
| Website | |
| Official website (in French) | |
The Haitian National Police (HNP or PNH; French: Police Nationale d'Haïti, lit. 'National Police of Haiti'; Haitian Creole: Polis Nasyonal Ayiti) is the law enforcement and police force of Haiti within the Ministry of Justice and Public Security. It was created in 1995 to bring public security under civilian control as mandated in Haiti's constitution. The force has about 13,500 officers as of 2025.
The 1987 constitution called for the Public Force of Haiti to consist of the National Police and the Armed Forces, though the military government delayed the creation of a separate police force. Haiti had no history of civilian law enforcement before the founding of the PNH. A police law was passed on 23 December 1994 and the PNH was officially founded on 12 June 1995. After Operation Uphold Democracy led to the restoration of the Jean-Bertrand Aristide administration in October 1994, an Interim Public Security Force was recruited from among soldiers of the military disbanded by Aristide and Haitian refugees to the U.S. that were held at Guantánamo Bay. PNH officers, trained at the newly founded National Police Academy in Pétion-Ville, Port-au-Prince, gradually took over security functions before the IPSF was dissolved in December 1995.
The PNH has been the main security institution in Haiti, though it has been undermined by corruption and shortages of personnel, funding, and basic supplies. As of June 2025, less than 300 of Haiti's 570 municipalities had a police presence. Since the start of the Haitian conflict in 2020 the force has been increasingly strained as armed groups expand their territory.
The PNH is led by the Director-General, assisted by an Inspector-General that ensures that the agency follows its own regulations, and consists of several departments. The two largest sections are the Administrative Police, which is the patrol police, and the Judicial Police, which is responsible for investigations. There are several more specialized units, including a presidential security unit, a SWAT team, and the Haitian Coast Guard.