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National Revolutionary Police

The National Revolutionary Police (Polida Nacional Revolucionaria - PNR) fall under the authority of the Vice Ministry of Internal Order. As Cuba's primary uniformed law enforcement body, they are responsible for handling routine criminal and law enforcement matters and are also occasionally called on by other security forces to help with what are deemed to be political matters. The force was established on January 5, 1959, only days after the victory of the Revolution, and in the mid-1980s numbered 10,000. It is unclear how the size of the force may have been affected by the economic crisis of the 1990s.

The regime's increased concern over the growing crime problem on the island prompted greater attention to the PNR's professional development during the late 1990s. As a result, the PNR received improved training, was assigned new French Citroen cruisers to replace the old Soviet-era Ladas, and also was provided new, more modern communications equipment. During this period, the presence of the uniformed PNR officers on the street was also increased, especially with respect to the patrols, often accompanied by canines, assigned to areas frequented by foreign tourists. According to Cuban officials, the increases in security-related government expenditures in 1999 were largely attributable to the attention dedicated to beefing up the country's police forces.

During the late 1990s, numerous reports by human rights groups also stated that PNR officers routinely assisted the non-uniformed personnel of the DSE in matters related to the activities of Cuban dissidents. On occasion, political detainees have been taken to PNR precinct stations, where they have been held briefly before being released or transferred to other facilities associated with the DSE. The PNR's forces have also been criticized for failing to act to break up the so-called spontaneous demonstrations that often erupted outside the home of dissidents and others considered to be antagonistic toward the regime, such as members of the small yet vocal independent press. The participants in these demonstrations, which are known as acts of repudiation (actos de repudio), are usually members of the officially sanctioned Rapid Response Brigades (Brigadas de Respuesta Ripida-BRR) or of the local CDRs. The BRR, composed of civilian volunteers, were initially organized in mid-1991 to deal with possible problems that could develop in relation to Cuba's hosting of the Pan-American Games in the midst of the then new economic crisis.

In addition, to assist the regular police in their increased responsibilities in light of Cuba's tourism boom of the 1990s, a new black-bereted force known as the Special Brigade (Brigada Especial) was created in 1998. The main role of the Special Brigade has been preventive, often in helping identify and arrest the hustlers and pimps who prey on foreign tourists. The force members have also worked closely with the PNR in coordinating the neighborhood-based, anti-crime groups under the Unified Prevention and Vigilance System (Sistema Unificado de Prevencion y Vigilancia - SUPV). The SUPV was conceived during the early 1990s and placed under the PNR's supervision as part of the effort to stem the surge in economic-related crime that accompanied the onset of the crisis and at the same time improve vigilance in relation to "antisocial" behavior.