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elections. They include the Communist League (Marxist-Leninist) and its apparent youth affiliate, Communist Youth (Marxist-Leninst); the Communist Working Circle and its sponsored Communist Youth League; the Socialist Youth League - expelled by the Left Socialists in 1969; and the Revolutionary Socialists. All but the Socialist Youth League and the Revolutionary Socialists, which are Trotskyist and together affiliated with the Fourth International, are believed to be aligned with Peking. Communist China recognizes the Communist League as the local representative of its brand of Marxist-Leninist "truth."
These splinter groups - highly volatile by nature - collectively command the support of only a very insignificant segment of the population, and remain isolated but vociferous sects with negligible power. Conspiring for the most part more youthful elements than the established parties, they are unanimous in their rejection of the policies of both the Social Democrats and the Communists, as well as in their efforts to create a revolutionary counterforce to the political status quo. They vary, however, in their platforms for the overthrow of the present power structure and creation of a socialist state. Within each are ideological and tactical differences, many of an extreme and seemingly irreconcilable nature. This factor, coupled with their paucity of numbers, and exacerbated in turn by an increasing tendency to purge the ranks of "anarchist" elements, has generally rendered them unable to effect any significant political mischief.
F. Maintenance of internal security (U/OU)
1. Police
The maintenance of public order and safety poses no special problems. Although criminal activity in Copenhagen from 1970 through 1972 increased markedly, offenses of all kinds in the latter year averaging some 25% higher than in 1969, anti-social actions - and serious crimes in particular - are still relatively few by North American norms. The city fathers in 1970 were gravely concerned about the 9 homicides (only 6 solved) and 10 additional attempted homicides. In most US cities of similar size the number of homicides would exceed those in Copenhagen at least tenfold. The Danish society tends to be stable; the populace, law-abiding. The small police force is efficient, impartial, and generally adequate in numbers. The courts dispense equal justice. Both the courts and the police enjoy broad public respect and support. Over the years the police system has been modernized in structure and operating procedure.
Although Denmark enjoys considerable local self-government, the Danish police are organized as a state force, with control from the national rather than the local level. Until 1911 the police operated strictly at the local level. During that year a small state police force was activated, but for a protracted period thereafter efforts to create a truly nationwide police system were frustrated by the opposition of many Danes who feared that local prerogatives would be compromised. In 1919 the criminal police were nationalized, and finally in 1938 the process was virtually completed with the induction of the uniformed police into the national organization. A generally, though not completely centralized, police force of impressive utility emerged. Such autonomous features of the local units as the appointment of parish sheriffs and village fire wardens were preserved. For a time Copenhagen was permitted a large measure of freedom in the management of its own police affairs, but ultimately its police force was amalgamated into the national system.
The Minister of Justice is the highest police authority in the country. Top professional control of the police is vested in a single Chief of State Police appointed by the Monarch upon the recommendation of the Minister of Justice. The Chief of State Police, who is actually the national chief of police, has five staff assistants who head the uniformed police branch, the criminal police branch, the administrative branch, the State Police college, and the special security section. Such operations as a fingerprint department, a police laboratory, and relations with INTERPOL (the international police) come within the chief's purview. With the help of his staff, the chief undertakes an annual examination of police operations throughout the country.
Denmark is divided into 72 police districts, ranging from the Copenhagen metropolis to small municipalities with populations of no more than 12,000. Each is headed by a chief constable who has one or more assistant chief constables, depending on the size of the district. Appointed by the Monarch on the recommendation of the Minister of Justice, the chief constable has direct responsibility for police operations within a district. The chief constable exercises only limited disciplinary authority over people under his control, however. Disciplinary action, except in minor matters, is administered by the Chief of State Police, who also supervises police training, prescribes equipment, and assigns and promotes personnel. Only lawyers are appointed as chief constables or assistant
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