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Domestic security is the act of keeping peace within theborders of asovereign state or otherself-governing territories, generally by upholding the nationallaw and defending against internal security threats. This task and role differs fromborder security. Responsibility for internal security may range frompolice toparamilitary forces, and in exceptional circumstances, themilitary itself.
Defining what exactly constitutes a domestic threat is often contingent on political, cultural, and generational contexts.[1]
Threats to the general peace may range from minorcivil unrest, large scaleviolence, or even an armedinsurgency. Threats to internal security may be directed at either the state'scitizens, or the organs and infrastructure ofthe state itself, and may range from pettycrime, seriousorganized crime, political or industrial unrest, or even domesticterrorism. Foreign powers may also act as a threat to internal security, by either committing or sponsoring terrorism orrebellion, without actuallydeclaring war.
Governmental responsibility for internal security will generally rest with aninterior ministry, as opposed to adefence ministry. Depending on the state, a state's internal security will be maintained by either the ordinarypolice or more militarised security forces (known asgendarmerie or, literally, theinternal troops). Other specialized internal security agencies may exist to augment these main forces, such asborder guards,special police units, or aspects of the state'sintelligence agencies. In some states, internal security may be the primary responsibility of asecret police force.
The level of authorized force used by agencies and forces responsible for maintaining internal security might range from unarmedpolice to fully armedparamilitary organizations, or employ some level ofless-lethal weaponry in between. For violent situations, internalsecurity forces may contain some element of military type equipment such asnon-military armored vehicles.
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Depending on the organization of the state, internal security forces may havejurisdiction on national orfederal levels. As the concept of internal security refers to the entity of the state and its citizens, persons who are threats to internal security may be designated as anenemy of the state orenemy of the people.
Persons detained by internal security forces may either be dealt with by the normalcriminal justice system, or for more serious crimes against internal security such astreason, they may face special measures such assecret trials. In times of extreme unrest, internal security actions may include measures such asinternment (detention without trial).
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Depending on the nature of the specific state'sform of government, enforcing internal security will generally not be carried out by a country'smilitary forces, whose primary role is external defense, except in times of extreme unrest or otherstate of emergency, short ofcivil war. Often, military involvement in internal security is restricted to authorizedmilitary aid to the civil power as part of the principle ofcivilian control of the military. Militaryspecial forces units may in some cases be put under the temporary command of civilian powers, for special internal security situations such ascounter terrorism operations.
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