View source for Border Guard (Poland)

{{Short description|Polish organization}}
{{main|Law enforcement in Poland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{more footnotes needed|date=March 2013}}
{{Infobox law enforcement agency
| agencyname        = Polish Border Guard
| nativename        = {{lang|pl|Straż Graniczna}}
| patch             = Logo Straży Granicznej POL.svg
| formed            = 16 May 1991
| preceding1        = [[Border Protection Troops]] (1945–89)
| preceding2        = Border Guard (1928–39)
| preceding3        = [[Border Protection Corps]] (1924–39)
| logo              = Roundel of Poland – Border Guard.svg
| logocaption       = Roundel of the Polish Border Guard
| badge             = Polish Coast Guard racing stripe.svg
| badgecaption      = Racing stripe
| flag              = POL Border Guard flag.svg
| flagcaption       = Polish Border Guard Ensign
| country           = Poland
| national          = Yes
| speciality1       = border
| speciality2       = immigration
| speciality3       = coast
| governingbody     = Border Guard General Headquarters (Poland)
| electeetype       = Minister
| minister1name     = [[Tomasz Siemoniak]]
| minister1pfo      = [[Ministry of Interior and Administration (Poland)|Minister of the Interior and Administration]]
| chief1name        = Maj. Gen. [[Robert Bagan]]
| chief1position    = General Commander
| aircraft1type     = Airplanes
| aircraft1         = [[PZL-104 Wilga]], [[PZL M-28]], [[PZL M-20 Mewa]], [[Stemme ASP S15]], [[Let L-410 Turbolet]]
| aircraft2type     = Helicopters
| aircraft2         = [[PZL W-3 Sokół]], [[Eurocopter EC135]], [[PZL Kania]], [[Robinson R44]]
| website           = {{URL|strazgraniczna.pl}}
}}
The '''Polish Border Guard''' ([[Polish language|Polish]]: '''''Straż Graniczna''''', also abbreviated as '''SG''') is a [[National security|state security]] agency tasked with patrolling the [[Polish border]]. It existed in the [[Second Polish Republic|Second Republic]] era from 1928 to 1939 and was reestablished in the modern-day [[History of Poland (1989–present)|Third Republic]] in 1990, going into operation the following year. During the [[Polish People's Republic|communist era]] lasting from 1945 to 1989, the role of the [[border guard]] was carried out by the [[Border Protection Troops]] ({{lang|pl|Wojska Ochrony Pogranicza}}).

==History==
=== 1928–1939 ===
The Straż Graniczna was founded in 1928. During the times of the [[Second Polish Republic]], it was responsible for the northern, western and southern border of Poland (with Germany, the [[Free City of Danzig]], the maritime border, [[Czechoslovakia]] and [[Romania]]). The eastern border, often raided by military bands supported by the Soviet Union, was under the jurisdiction of a separate, military formation ([[Border Protection Corps]], {{lang|pl|Korpus Ochrony Pogranicza – KOP}}).

Responsibilities of Straż Graniczna included:
* prevention of illegal crossing of the land and sea border by people and goods ([[smuggling]])
* ensuring safety and [[Crowd control|public order]] in the border area
* combating any threats to [[national security]] in the border area

The Border Guard was organized in a military style, with uniformed and armed agents. It was controlled by the Ministry of Treasury, Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Ministry of Military Affairs. The highest level of organizational structure of the agency was Main Headquarters ({{lang|pl|Komenda Główna}}), based in [[Warsaw]]. It was followed by Regional Inspectorates, Border Inspectorates, stations and posts. It carried out actions through patrols, manning border checkpoints, tracking, rouses and intelligence work. It had its own river and sea flotilla, intelligence academy, and the Main School of Border Guard ({{lang|pl|Centralna Szkoła Straży Granicznej}}), which was located firstly in [[Góra Kalwaria]] (until 1928), then in [[Rawa Ruska]]. The school had a department of training of guard dogs, also located in Rawa Ruska.

Each station of the agency was responsible for some 20 to 25 kilometers of the borderline. The stations oversaw posts of the first line and posts of the second line. In 1938, there were 129 stations of the Border Guard, 419 posts of the first line (these were located right along the border), and 212 posts of the second line (located in the interior of the country, right behind posts of the first line).

===Regional inspectorates in 1939===
* [[Mazovia]]n Regional Inspectorate in [[Ciechanów]],
* [[Pomerania]]n Regional Inspectorate in [[Bydgoszcz]],
* [[Greater Poland]] Regional Inspectorate in [[Poznań]],
* [[Silesia]]n Regional Inspectorate in [[Katowice]],
* Western [[Lesser Poland]] Regional Inspectorate in [[Kraków]],
* Eastern [[Lesser Poland]] Regional Inspectorate in [[Lwów]].
* Agency of the Customs Inspectorate of the [[Free City of Gdańsk]].

In late 1938 and early 1939, following changes of borders of some Eastern European countries, the Border Guard took over protection of the boundary with [[Lithuania]], while [[Border Defence Corps]] moved some of its units to the newly established border with Hungary. Furthermore, every station of the Border Guard was strengthened with a platoon of the [[Polish Land Forces]].

Members of Straż Graniczna, under General [[Walerian Czuma]], participated in the Second World War, fighting during the [[invasion of Poland]] together with Land Forces units.

=== 1945–1989 ===
During the period of the [[Polish People's Republic]], the role of the border guards was carried out by the military formation of [[Border Protection Troops]] ({{lang|pl|Wojska Ochrony Pogranicza}}), being a part of the [[Polish People's Army]] and reporting directly to the Ministry of Interior, formerly under the Ministry of National Defense (from 1945 to 1949 and again from 1965 to 1970 and 1972), just as its 2nd Republic predecessors were assigned. After [[Martial law in Poland|martial law]], border battalions were reconstructed. Battalions were re-established in [[Sanok]], [[Nowy Targ]], [[Cieszyn]], [[Racibórz]], [[Prudnik]], [[Zgorzelec]], [[Gubin, Poland|Gubin]], [[Słubice]] and [[Chojna]]. The organization of battalions in Nowy Sącz, Lubań Śląski and Szczecin was stopped at the stage of the backbone commands. These were later disbanded.

===1990 – present===
Straż Graniczna has been reestablished in the Third Polish Republic as a civil, [[police]]-type service, with the act of 12 October 1990 and began operations on 16 May 1991. It considers itself the successor to the Second Polish Republic formations of the Straż Graniczna and Korpus Ochrony Pogranicza (plus the military heritage of the Wojska Ochrony Pogranicza of the People's Republic), and thus is one of the only police-styled forces to use military-style ranks (the [[Government Protection Bureau]], [[Agencja Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego]] and the Służba Więzienna also use them as well).

From 1 May 2004, the day Poland became a member of the [[European Union]], Straż Graniczna has performed its responsibility to guard and protect both the Polish and EU borders.

===As member of European Union===
In June 2022 the Border Guard was tasked with protecting a newly complete [[Belarus–Poland border barrier]],<ref name=ctv1>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/poland-completes-belarus-border-wall-to-keep-migrants-out-1.5969456|title=Poland completes Belarus border wall to keep migrants out|work=[[CTV News]]|date=June 30, 2022|access-date=July 2, 2022|archive-date=April 28, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230428152941/https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/poland-completes-belarus-border-wall-to-keep-migrants-out-1.5969456|url-status=live}}</ref> as one result of the [[Belarus–European Union border crisis]] which had been exacerbated by [[Charles Michel]] and the [[European Council]] over the last several years for ideological reasons.<ref name="peu1">{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-money-for-border-infrastructure-legally-possible-charles-michel-says/ |title=Michel opens door to EU funding for border walls |date=10 November 2021 }}</ref> All of a sudden the Council began to circulate a document which "reasoned the EU could fund border infrastructure under a regulation allowing the bloc to jointly support border management at the EU’s edge through its own border agency, [[Frontex]]," but the Poles (and Greeks) fiercely protected access to their frontiers and preferred not to grant access to external observers that would come with Frontex money.<ref name=peu1/> An electronic barrier 206km in length, mounting 3,000 cameras with night vision and movement sensors, was added to the fence between November 2022 and early summer 2023 at a cost of EUR 71.8 million.<ref name=tvp1>{{cite web |title=Electronic border barrier between Poland and Belarus ready: official |publisher=Telewizja Polska S.A. |url=https://tvpworld.com/70265292/electronic-border-barrier-between-poland-and-belarus-ready-official |date=1 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231103174550/https://tvpworld.com/70265292/electronic-border-barrier-between-poland-and-belarus-ready-official |archive-date=3 November 2023 }}</ref>

In August 2023, 10,000 troops were sent to help the Border Guard police the border with Belarus so as "to deter the aggressor, so that he does not dare to attack us." Defense Minister [[Mariusz Błaszczak]] he was not ruling out closing the border, and "Everything that happens in Belarus is coordinated with Russia’s actions."<ref name="peu2">{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/poland-deploy-up-to-10k-soldiers-belarus-border/ |title=Poland will deploy 10K soldiers at Belarus frontier |date=10 August 2023 }}</ref>

On 28 May 2024 an illegal immigrant on the [[Belarus-Poland border]] stabbed a member of the [[1st Warsaw Armoured Brigade]]; he succumbed to his injuries on 6 June. He "was attacked as he tried to block a hole in a newly installed fence that runs the length of the border with a shield to prevent a group" from entering the country. [[Andrzej Duda]] and [[Donald Tusk]] were forced to express their shock and dismay. Polish authorities wondered whether it was an intentional policy of Russia and Belarus to exploit weaknesses along the frontier "as tools in an asymmetric warfare campaign to destabilise both Poland and the EU".<ref name="yah1">{{cite news |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/polish-soldier-stabbed-death-migrant-111749762.html |agency=[[Daily Telegraph]] |title=Polish soldier stabbed to death by migrant on Belarus border |date=7 June 2024 }}</ref>

==Structure==
*Border Guard General Headquarters ([[Warsaw]]) 
**[[Warmińsko-Mazurski Border Guard Regional Unit]] ([[Kętrzyn]])
**[[Podlaski Border Guard Regional Unit]] ([[Białystok]])
**[[Bug Border Guard Regional Unit]] ([[Chełm]])
**[[Bieszczady Border Guard Regional Unit]] ([[Przemyśl]])
**[[Śląski Border Guard Regional Unit]] ([[Racibórz]])
**[[Odra Border Guard Regional Unit]] ([[Krosno Odrzańskie]])
**[[Sea Border Guard Regional Unit]] ([[Gdańsk]])
**[[Vistula Border Guard Regional Unit]] ([[Warsaw]])
**[[Carpathian Border Guard Regional Unit]] ([[Nowy Sącz]]).

==Equipment==
===Border Wall===
[[File:20220630 Zapora na granicy polsko-białoruskiej 004.jpg|thumb|Belarus–Poland border barrier]]
* [[Belarus–Poland border barrier]]

===Firearms=== 
* [[Mossberg 500]] 
* [[Heckler & Koch MP5]] [[9×19mm Parabellum]]
* [[HK 416]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.strazgraniczna.pl/pl/aktualnosci/12803,Nowe-dostawy-broni-dla-Strazy-Granicznej.html | title=Nowe dostawy broni dla Straży Granicznej }}</ref>
* [[Glock 19]] [[9×19mm Parabellum]]
* [[Glock 17]] [[9×19mm Parabellum]]
* [[CZ P-10 C]] [[9×19mm Parabellum]]<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.strazgraniczna.pl/pl/logistyk/wyposazenie-i-infrastru/technika-specjalna/2562,Sprzet-techniki-specjalnej-i-optolektroniki.html | title=Sprzęt techniki specjalnej i optolektroniki}}</ref>
*[[CZ 805 BREN|CZ Bren 2 PPS]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bren3.czub.cz/|title=CZ BREN 3 Series}}</ref>

===Utility vehicles===
[[File:20190209 Premier i Minister spotkali się z funkcjonariuszami Straży Granicznej 009.jpg|thumb|Polish Border Guard Ford Ranger]]
[[File:Stiopa-Iveco Daily foto.2.jpg|thumb|Polish Border Guard Iveco Daily pyrotechnic ambulance]]
*[[Mitsubishi Pajero]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nowe samochody na granicę
|url=https://www.podlaski.strazgraniczna.pl/pod/aktualnosci/58137,Nowe-samochody-na-granice.html|access-date=2024-08-07|date=11 December 2023 |language=pl}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mitsubishi Pajero w Podlaskim OSG|url=https://www.podlaski.strazgraniczna.pl/pod/aktualnosci/11617,Mitsubishi-Pajero-w-Podlaskim-OSG.html|access-date=2024-08-07|date=13 January 2015 |language=pl}}</ref>
*Citroen B E-C4<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |title=Straż Graniczna kupuje nowe auta|url=https://www.strazgraniczna.pl/pl/aktualnosci/12233,Straz-Graniczna-kupuje-nowe-auta.html|access-date=2024-08-13|date=30 July 2023 |language=pl}}</ref>
*Peugeot Rifter<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web |title=Nowe pojazdy służbowe w Bieszczadzkim Oddziale SG|url=https://www.bieszczadzki.strazgraniczna.pl/bie/aktualnosci/36339,Nowe-pojazdy-sluzbowe-w-Bieszczadzkim-Oddziale-SG.html|access-date=2024-08-15|date=24 January 2020 |language=pl}}</ref>
*[[SEAT Ateca]]<ref name="auto"/>
*[[SsangYong Musso|Daewoo Musso]]<ref name="Militarypedia 2" /><ref name="Armia" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Nowy samochód w Sejnach|url=https://podlaski.strazgraniczna.pl/pod/aktualnosci/26007,Nowy-samochod-w-Sejnach.html|access-date=2024-08-07|date=15 January 2018 |language=pl}}</ref>
*[[Jeep Wrangler]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Polska Straż Graniczna wybrała Jeepa Wranglera.|url=https://www.media.stellantis.com/pl-pl/jeep/press/polska-stra-graniczna-wybraa-jeepa-wranglera|access-date=2024-08-13|date=23 November 2020 |language=pl}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title= Pojazdy Straży Granicznej. Jakimi samochodami, motocyklami i quadami dysponują pogranicznicy? |url=https://www.auto-swiat.pl/wiadomosci/aktualnosci/pojazdy-strazy-granicznej-czym-dysponuja-pogranicznicy/zqvny8v#slajd-1|access-date=2024-08-13|date=12 October 2021 |language=pl}}</ref>
*[[Renault Trafic]]<ref name="auto1"/>
*[[Toyota Hilux]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kolejne Toyoty Hilux do Straży Granicznej|url=https://milmag.pl/kolejne-toyoty-hilux-do-strazy-granicznej/|access-date=2024-08-14|date=3 June 2024 |language=pl}}</ref>
* [[Toyota Land Cruiser]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nowe Toyoty dla Straży Granicznej
|url=https://strazgraniczna.pl/pl/aktualnosci/11492,Nowe-toyoty-dla-Strazy-Granicznej.html|access-date=2024-08-07|date=20 March 2023 |language=pl}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Nowe samochody na granicę
|url=https://strazgraniczna.pl/pl/aktualnosci/11492,Nowe-toyoty-dla-Strazy-Granicznej.html|access-date=2024-08-07|date=11 December 2023 |language=pl}}</ref>

===Logistics vehicles===
*[[Volkswagen Transporter]]<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|last=Zbiam|date=2019-05-15|title=Volkswageny dla wojska|url=http://zbiam.pl/volkswageny-dla-wojska/|access-date=2020-09-23|website=Wydawnictwo militarne ZBIAM|language=pl-PL}}</ref>
*[[Fiat Ducato]]"<ref name="Rzeczpospolita">{{cite web|url=http://new-arch.rp.pl/artykul/241255_Seicento_gotowy__do_sluzby_w_polskim_wojsku.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130416114519/http://new-arch.rp.pl/artykul/241255_Seicento_gotowy__do_sluzby_w_polskim_wojsku.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 April 2013|title=Seicento gotowy do służby w polskim wojsku|publisher=New-arch.rp.pl|accessdate=19 December 2014}}</ref>

===Aircraft===
[[File:PZL M-28 Skytruck of the Polish Border Guard.JPG|thumb|Polish Border Guard PZL M-28]]
* [[PZL-104 Wilga]] 
*[[PZL M-28]] 
*[[PZL M-20 Mewa]] 
*[[Stemme ASP S15]] 
*[[Let L-410 Turbolet]]<ref name="auto2">{{cite web |url=https://www.strazgraniczna.pl/pl/logistyk/wyposazenie-i-infrastru/statki-powietrzne/2565,Statki-powietrzne.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180113133843/http://www.strazgraniczna.pl/pl/logistyk/wyposazenie-i-infrastru/statki-powietrzne/2565,Statki-powietrzne.html |archive-date=13 January 2018 |title=Statki powietrzne - Komenda Główna Straży Granicznej}}</ref>

===Helicopters===
[[File:Polish Border Guard Eurocopter 135 (EC135).jpg|thumb|Polish Border Guard Eurocopter 135 (EC135)]]
*[[PZL W-3 Sokół]] 
*[[Eurocopter EC135]] 
*[[PZL Kania]] 
*[[Robinson R44]]<ref name="auto2"/>

===Vessels===
[[File:SG-301 generał józef haller.jpg|thumb|Polish Border Guard Type SG-301]]
* [[Griffon Hoverwork 2000TD]]
* Type SAR-1500
* SPORTIS S-7500
* Sportis S-7500K
* Type SKS-40
* Type TM-623 OB CABIN
* Type TM-923 OB
* Type TM-1025 2IB CABIN
* Type IC 16 M III
* Type PARKER 1000 BALTIC
* Type Patrol 240 (Patrol 24 Baltic)
* Type SG-071<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.strazgraniczna.pl/pl/logistyk/wyposazenie-i-infrastru/jednostki-plywajace/2564,Jednostki-plywajace.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180113133838/http://www.strazgraniczna.pl/pl/logistyk/wyposazenie-i-infrastru/jednostki-plywajace/2564,Jednostki-plywajace.html |archive-date=13 January 2018 |title=Jednostki pływające - Komenda Główna Straży Granicznej}}</ref>
* Type SG-301

==Notable Border Guard commanders==
* [[Walerian Czuma]]

==Ranks==
;Officers
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background:#fff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin:0 12px 12px 0;"
{{Ranks and Insignia of NATO Armed Forces/OF/Blank}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of NATO Armies/OF/Poland (SG)}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of NATO Navies/OF/Poland (SG)}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of NATO Air Forces/OF/Poland (SG)}}
|}

;Enlisted
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background:#fff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin:0 12px 12px 0;"
{{Ranks and Insignia of NATO Armies/OR/Blank}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of NATO Armies/OR/Poland (SG)}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of NATO Navies/OR/Poland (SG)}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of NATO Air Forces/OR/Poland (SG)}}
|}

==Gallery==
<gallery mode=packed>
PZL-104M Wilga 2000 of Polish Border Guard (reg. SN-41YG), static display, Radom AirShow 2005, Poland.jpg | PZL-104M
Kaper2 SG312.jpg |Kaper-2 Patrol Craft
SG323.jpg |SG-323 Patrol Craft
StrazGran.25.5.2007-2.jpg |PZL W-3
SG325.jpg | SG-325 Patrol Craft
2006-08 Frankfurt (Oder) 09.jpg | Quad vehicle of Border Guard
SG064 PICT0084.JPG | Motorboat of Border Guard 
Polish_Border_Guard_at_Polish-Russian_state_border.jpg | Land Rover Defender 
EC135PBG.jpg | EC 135 (P3H)
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Border Protection Corps]], the border guard in the [[Second Polish Republic]]
*[[Border Protection Forces]], the border guard in the [[Polish People's Republic]]
*[[Tax and Customs Service (Poland)]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons|Polish Border Guard}}
* [http://www.strazgraniczna.pl/ Straż Graniczna Homepage in Polish]

{{European Border and Coast Guard|state=expanded}}
{{Border guards}}
{{Polish intelligence agencies}}
{{National intelligence agencies}}
{{National intelligence agencies in Europe}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Borders of Poland]]
[[Category:Military units and formations of Poland]]
[[Category:Border guards|Polish Border Guard]]