The Period of the First Republic of Armenia (1918-1920)
Ministers of the Internal Affairs

Aram Manoukyan (July 1918 – January 1919),

Aleksandr Khatisyan (February 1919-August 1919 ),

Abraham Gyulkhandanyan (August 1919 – May 1920),

Rouben Ter-Minasyan (May 1920- September 1920),

Sargis Araratyan (September 1920-November 1920),

Simon Vratsyan (November 1920 –December 1920).

During this period the Ministry of Internal Affairs was subdivided by state, province commissariats, the City Militia Department was established inYerevan, as well as the institution of village community commissars.

During this historical period the power of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was unprecedented: beside executing its main functions, the communication and telecommunication sphere, railroads, school system also became subordinate to the Ministry, and only later they were detached from the Internal Affairs authority. The  temporary Law on Militia was adopted (on April 21 of 1920), according to which the purposes, rights and responsibilities of the system were defined, the law clearly stated the composition of Militia, the order for entering into position and discharging it, the interrelations among officials and their responsibilities.

Period of Soviet Armenia (1920-1991)

This period also is divided into three phases

Phase 1 (1920-1940)

Ministers of the Interior Affairs

Isaac Dovlatyan (December 1920 –April 1921),

Poghos Makintsyan (April 1921-July 1921),

Avis Nourijanyan (July 1921- August 1921),

Shavarsh Amirkhanyan (August 1921 - May1924 ),

Hovhannes Dourgaryan (May 1924- July 1927),

Sergey Melik-Hovsepyan (July 1927- December 1928),

Sedrak Margaryan (February 1929 – November, 1929 ),

Hayk Petrosyan (November 1929 – May 1930),

Sedrak Otyan (May 1930 – October 1930),

Armenak Aboulyan (December 1930- July, 1934),

Khachik Moughdousi (July 1934 – September, 1937),

Victor Khvorostov (November 1937 – March 1939),

Aleksey Korotkov (March 1939 – March 1941).

 After Sovietization of Armenia, the Ministry of Internal Affairs was renamed to People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs, the most important and powerful unit of which was the Extraordinary Commission, which declared an uncompromising class struggle of the proletariat with the “enemies” of revolution inArmenia.
In 1929  the People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs was dissolved and reorganized into a State Political Department, the main activity and policy of which was “to eliminate kulaks as a class”.  The People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs was reestablished in July of 1934.  This phase was unprecedented by its acts of violence, square accounts, multiple death penalties and exiles. The fact, that 10 People’s Commissars out of 13 fall victims to violence and were executed by the same machine they had worked for, speaks for itself.

Phase 2 (1940-1960)

Ministers of Internal Affairs

Georgi Martirosov (March 1941- May 1943, March 1953 – April 1954),

Ivan Matevosov (May 1943 – August 1947),

Khoren Grigoryan (August 1947 – March 1953),

Pyotr Piskunov (April 1954 – August 1957),

Hayk Melkonyan (August 1957 - August 1961).

 This phase coincides with the start of World War II.  With the immediate guidance of the People’s Commissariats of the Internal Affairs battalions were formed, special detachments of militia were created, and besides, from March of 1941 the Internal Affairs and State Security People’s Commissariats became separate structures, and they were only combined at the end of 40-s.  At the beginning of 50-s the Internal Affairs System again split from the State Security, and became a ministry, some sections of the ministry were established in this phase.

The building of the present-day Police has been built.

Phase 3 ( 1960-1991)

Ministers of the Internal Affairs

Sergey Arzoumanyan (August 1961 – December 1968),

Vladimir Darbinyan (December 1968 – September 1974),

Evgeniy Patalov (December 1974 – November 1983),

Haykaz Shahinyan (November 1983 – June 1988),

Housik Haroutunyan (June 1988 – May 1990),

Levon Galstyan (June 1990 -1990 August),

 Karlos Ghazaryan (August 1990 - March 1991)

 The divisions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were the City Department of the Militia, the Regional Militia Divisions, and the State Traffic Police.  The Armenian Regiment of Interior Forces of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs was established in 1963, and the Headquarters of the Ministry of Internal Affairs- in 1965.

The effectiveness of the crime detection increases, great attention is given to crime prevention,MilitiaSecondary Schoolis reestablished, the building of the School, currently thePoliceAcademy, is constructed.  In 1984 theSecondary SchoolofMilitiaof the Ministry of Internal Affairs if replaced with the higher training courses for the Department to Combat the Theft of Socialist Property Staff, on the basis of which the higher school opens later.  The system gets technically equipped.  The Division for Combat the Economic Crime has also been established during this phase.

Years ofIndependence(from 1991- to date)

Ministers of the Internal Affairs 

Ashot Manoucharyan (March 1991 – December 1991),

Valeri Poghosyan (December 1991 – February 1992),

Vanik Siradeghyan (February 1992 – November 1996),

Serzh Sargsyan (November 1996 – June 1999),

Souren Abrahamyan (June 1999 - November 1999),

Hayk Haroutyunyan (November 1999  - January 2003,  from January 2003 through May 2008 he served as the Head of the RA Police),

Alik Sargsyan (from May 29, 2008 through November 1, 2011 served as the Head of the RA Police).

From November 1 of 2011 Vladimir Gasparyan  has been nominated the Head of the RA Police.

On the eve of independence the Ministry of Internal Affairs was not only an established legal structure, but a national one as well.  The divisions of the Internal Affairs were the first to combat Azeri detached forces and conspiratorial attacks of the regular Soviet Army at the frontier territories.  Numerous Armenian police officers participated at combat operations as members of voluntary detachments, dozens of Internal Affairs officers fall in battlefields.  In the meantime at the home front their fellow-workers continued to pursue their main purpose – the fight against crime.
According to the RA President’s decree, on June 21 of 1992 the Interior Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were established.
The Division for Combat the Economic Crime and neighborhood inspectors units have been eliminated (the latter has been recently reestablished). 
The Divisions for Combat the Organized Crime and Drug Addiction have been established.
TheHigherSchoolof the Ministry of Internal Affairs has been reorganized into an Academy.
Since 1992Armeniahas become a member of the Interpol, the cooperation with CIS countries, as well as other foreign countries’ law enforcement authorities have been increased.
In November of 1996 Ministries of Internal Affairs and National Security were combined, and then in 1999 they were again detached into separate ministries.
On April 16 of 2001 the RA Law “On Police” was adopted, and April 16 was included in the calendar as the Day of Police.
On June 30 of 2002 the RA Law “On Police Service” was adopted, according to which from January 1 of 2003 the Ministry of Internal Affairs is reorganized into the RA Police.
In pursuance of the responsibilities ofArmeniato the Council of Europe, the Department for Execution of Criminal Penalties in 2001 from Police subordination was transferred under Ministry of Justice and was reorganized to Penitentiary Department.
In 2002 Fire Prevention Department was transferred from Police subordination into the Department of Emergency Situations.