Security Forces of Macao

The origin of the Security Forces of Macao could be traced back to the Bazaar Police of the mid-19th century. In 1861, these servicemen gained official status and was renamed into the Macao Police Force under the command of an army officer. Later on, the Port Police was set up within the Macao Police Force, given the task to patrol and maintain good order at sea. It was eventually transformed into the Maritime Police. The Fire Inspection Force was made up of soldiers charged with the responsibility to prevent and deal with fire accidents alongside the city’s urbanization.

With the withdrawal of the Portuguese military garrison from Macao in 1975, the Portuguese administration of the city had to establish its own military security forces, which consisted of the Macao Security Forces, the Maritime Police and the Fire-fighting Force. The Macao Security Forces and the Maritime Police had been restructured into the Public Security Police Forces and the Customs Service of today.