National Police of Peru  The Peruvian National Police (, PNP) is the national police force of Peru. Its jurisdiction covers the nation's land, sea, and air territories. Formed from the merge of the Investigative Police, the Civil Guard, and the Republican Guard in 1988, it is one of the largest police forces in Latin America. Its mission is to preserve domestic order, public order and national security, in order to enforce the law and protect the people of Peru. The PNP is controlled by the Peruvian Interior Ministry. The PNP has a number of divisions, tasked with enforcing specific aspects of the law; among the more well known are DIROES (Special Operations), DIRANDRO (Anti-Narcotics Unit), DIRINCRI (Criminal Investigations), and DIRCOTE (Anti-Terrorism). Under its law of creation, the National Police has the following functions:   The history of the Peruvian police goes back to the age of the Incas: however, it was since Peru became an independent republic in 1821 that the police began to be seen as a definite institution with its own mission and functions. The first police forces, beginning between 1825 and 1839, emerged as part of the armed forces. At that time, watchmen and guards also carried out police functions within their areas of operation. After the proclamation of Peruvian independence by General San Martín in 1821, the "Civic Militia" (') was created to keep public order. Its inspector general was Don José Bernardo de Tagle y Portocarrero, Marqués de Torre Tagle, who later served the Supreme Government (') under the title "Supreme Governor" ("") during 1823–24. Under San Martín the presidents of departmental governing bodies (') were given the function of "police judges" ('). As such their task was to oversee public morals and social progress in general. In 1822–23 police functions were organised under “commissars” ("Comisarios") and section leaders ("Decuriones"), with the support of the pre-existing neighbourhood leaders (" Alcaldes de Barrio"). A secret police force, known as the Civil Brigade ("Brigada Civil"), also came into being at that time. Its mission was to identify those conspiring against Independence, whose agents were infiltrating into the administrative structures of the new government, and even into the army. The first constitution of the republic was promulgated in 1823, under the presidency of Don José Bernardo Tagle, having been approved by the first constituent assembly on 12 November.