Established on 16 March 1951 as a subordinate agency of the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the BGS was renamed the Bundespolizei (Federal Police) on 1 July 2005 to reflect its transition to a multi-faceted police agency with control over border, railway and air security. This was controversial due to the German constitution expressly granting law enforcement power to the states. The fact that the border guard function was so limited allowed its formation notwithstanding this restriction, however in the modern day it has become a full-fledged police force.